Photo: BSS

FARIDPUR, Oct 21, 2025 (BSS)- Bitter gourd cultivation has gained popularity in Saltha upazila of Faridpur district in recent years, with farmers reaping significant profits in the recent times. 

Encouraged by success stories, more farmers are turning to bitter gourd farming each season.

Milon Fakir, a farmer from Ballavdi area of Saltha Upazila here, started cultivating bitter gourd nearly a decade ago on just one bigha of land. 

He, after earning a healthy profit in the first year, gradually expanded cultivation on lands. This year he has grown bitter gourd on nearly six acres of land.

He now harvests and sells around 20 to 25 maunds of bitter gourd daily at wholesale rates ranging from Tk 80 to Tk 100 per kilogram.

Milon said he had suffered losses with other crops in the past and had almost given up farming, but bitter gourd changed his fortunes. 

Inspired by his success, many farmers in the area have taken up bitter gourd cultivation and are finding it more profitable than traditional crops.

Mosharraf Fakir, a farmer from Jodnandi village, said careful application of pesticides and regular care from the planting stage is resulting in good yields.

This also opened a new door of employment with creating increased employment opportunities, particularly for women who are now involved in harvesting and processing.

However, locals expressed concerns that the rapid expansion of bitter gourd farming might lead to marketing challenges in near future. 

Commenting on the overall cultivation and production, Saltha Upazila Agriculture Officer Sudarshan Shikder said,” This year, vegetables including bitter gourd have been cultivated on 55 hectares of land in the upazila, with bitter gourd occupying a significant portion.”

He added that farmers are being advised to adopt eco-friendly and planned cultivation methods, and urged them to explore new wholesale markets in Dhaka and nearby districts to prevent future supply saturations.