Tk 55,000 spent on 60 decimals; Tk 3 lakh of summer tomatoes sold so far
A farmer in Nasirnagar, Brahmanbaria, leased fallow land and grew summer tomatoes. On the agriculture office's advice, about 400 bigha across the upazila was planted with them.
This year about 400 bigha in Nasirnagar upazila of Brahmanbaria, a haor-ringed area, was planted with summer tomatoes of the BARI-8 and Mangalraja varieties, mostly in home yards. The agriculture department is building a base of summer vegetable entrepreneurs and advising farmers. Abul Hashem, a farmer in Gokarna union, leased 60 decimals of fallow land from a landlord on a share basis and grew an early variety of tomato. His costs were Tk 55,000 and so far he has sold Tk 3 lakh worth of tomatoes. In Purbhag union Ramij Mia, 85, was picking ripe tomatoes with his three sons. His land used to lie fallow all year; about three months earlier agriculture office staff told him summer tomatoes could be grown, so he spent Tk 40,000 and planted seedlings. So far he has sold Tk 2 lakh worth. Straight from the garden, tomatoes are selling wholesale at Tk 80-110 a kg depending on size and quality. The deputy director of the district Department of Agricultural Extension says at least Tk 20 crore worth of tomatoes is expected to reach the market from the upazila this year. These sales figures are still gross sales, not net profit; the report does not give a full account of all costs, such as labour and pesticide.
Lessons
- 1.Land that lay fallow all year, leased or owned, can become a new income source with a summer variety.
- 2.Choosing the variety and method on the agriculture office's advice reduces risk.
- 3.Sales so far are not net profit; count labour, spray and transport costs before working out the profit.
We published this with the person's permission, without revealing who they are.
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