A jobless youth now raises hopes in many

Shoumen, left, at his tomato field while a labourer plucks ripe tomatoes, right. PHOTO: STAR

Strong will and hard work made him successful. Son of farmer Chatta Ramjan Bain of Raghunathpur village in the Sadar upazila, Shaumen could cross school due to poverty. He is now 27.

Fortune smiled on the family in 1999 when Gopalganj Horticulture Centre (GHC) selected Raghunathpur village as their working area. Shaumen took part in a two-day training on winter vegetable cultivation. GHC set up a demonstration plot on his two-bigha land.

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He earned a profit of Tk 2,50,000 by cultivating tomato, cabbage and cauliflower on his two-bigha land. This was beyond his imagination and a great surprise for the villagers.

Shaumen took more training.

Next year, Shaumen leased seven bighas of land from others. The horticulture officials advised him to rotate crops. He grew cauliflower and earned about Tk one lakh profit.

In 2001, he grew tomato and earned around Tk one lakh.

Last year, he leased five bighas of land and cultivated tomato. He made a profit of Tk 1,50,000.

In the same year he also earned Tk 80,000 by producing vegetable seedlings in cooperation with GHC.

This winter, Shaumen brought eight bighas under tomato cultivation.

This correspondent visited Raghunathpur village recently. An enthusiastic and happy Shaumen proudly showed his tomato filed.

Ten people were plucking ripe tomatoes. They were all alive with enthusiasm. They pluck about 50 mounds of tomato daily, which is sold at around Tk 10,000.

Shaumen said he has already earned about Tk 1,80,000. The total sale may be around Tk 2.5 lakh at current prices, he said.

He proudly said many villagers now follow him and come to him for advice on vegetable cultivation.