Tomato now money-spinner in 16 northern districts

14 December 2009, 17:00 PM

Bss, Rajshahi

Tomato farming is gaining popularity in all the 16 districts under Rajshahi division particularly in the vast tract of Barind area and farmers are expected to earn at least Tk 35 crore from the item during the current season. Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources said the cultivation was increased by five times during the last 15 to 20 years due to introduction of high yielding varieties and modern technologies. Tomato, which is now considered as the second cash crop of the region, plays an important role in the economy. At least one and half lakh families in the division derive direct financial benefit from either cultivating tomato or its trading. Hundreds of educated and uneducated youths are now engaged in tomato cultivation. It is learnt from the tomato cultivators here that they earn between Tk 20 and 25 thousand by cultivating tomato on each bigha of land in a season. Although the early varieties have appeared in the local markets but those are beyond the purchasing capacity of the lower and lower-middle class people. The wholesale price of a mound of tomato is now around Tk 2000 to 2400 but the price will come down to around Tk 100 per mound late in the season. The wholesale traders from across the country, particularly from Dhaka, Chittagong, Barisal, Sylhet, Shariatpur and Madaripur have already started rushing to different markets of the region for purchasing the crop through middlemen. Soil and climatic condition of all the districts, especially Rajshahi, Natore, Chapainawabganj, Naogaon, Pabna, Bogra, Sirajganj, Joypurhat, Rangpur and Gaibandha are very suitable for tomato cultivation, according to experts. It is now widely cultivated on the dry soil of the Barind area, sources in the area said. Different public and private level commercial banks, especially Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank (Rakub) have been extending credit facilities to the farmers to inspire the cultivation while the DAE is providing technological assistance to them for making the cultivation more profitable. The Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI) officials said they developed 10 high yielding and quality varieties and modern technologies. They have been implementing special programmes to promote those among the growers through arranging farmers training in different areas. The rates of production of the developed varieties are comparatively high and profitable than that of the domestic varieties. The farmers also prefer to cultivate some hybrid varieties of tomato which are high yielding and much more profitable, the officials said. Tomato cultivation has created job opportunities fro hundreds of educated youths of the region and it could change the socio-economic condition of the poor if marketing and cost-effective environment - friendly technologies are ensured. Apart from this, prospects for tomato cultivation in the country's northwestern region in both winter and summer seasons are bright if farmers get international markets and preservation facilities, the officials observed.