বীজ সুলতান রফিক আহমেদ

About

Rafiq Ahmed (over 60), a landless farmer in Kabilpur village, Debidwar upazila, about 26 km from Cumilla city, known locally as 'Beej Sultan' (Seed Sultan). Originally from Bathania village, Chhagalnaiya, Feni, he came to Debidwar in 1978 to work at the Arikhola jute mill. In 2004 a sub-assistant agriculture officer gave him 2 kg of paddy seed; a good harvest on 30 decimals of sharecropped land drew him fully into farming and he began saving grain for seed. Since 2008 he has produced paddy seed commercially with support from the Department of Agricultural Extension. He now grows at least 16 tonnes of seed a year on about 6 acres of sharecropped and leased land, selling it at the government-set price of Tk 60 a kg. Farmers from Debidwar, Chandina, Muradnagar and elsewhere come to buy seed cheaply; seed dealers from other districts, especially seed marketing firms in Rangpur, and the DAE, BINA and BRRI also buy from him. As a partner farmer of the agriculture department he has trial-grown about 500 rice varieties. He also advises local farmers on raising yields, and his wife Jharna Begum helps store the seed.

Products and services

• Paddy seed

  Tk 60 / kg

  Sold at the government-set price to farmers, seed dealers and government institutes

Prices as given by the owner; ask before you buy.

Address and hours

To learn or to work here

• Gives advice

• Visitors welcome