Photo: BSS

RANGPUR, May 9, 2025 (BSS) - As cultivation of late varieties of summer vegetables continues in the current Kharif-1 season in Rangpur agricultural region, farmers are now happy with excellent yield and profitable prices of its early varieties.

Market sources said, early varieties of summer vegetables have appeared in local markets in all five districts of Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari districts in the region.

Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said that a target of producing 5,63,779 tonnes of summer vegetables from 30,218 hectares of land has been fixed for the region during the current Kharif-1 season.

Additional Director of DAE for Rangpur region Agriculturist Md. Shafikul Islam said farmers have so far cultivated summer vegetables on 24,984 hectares of land by Thursday as the farming process continues.

"After repeatedly achieving bumper yield and profitable prices, farmers are expanding vegetable cultivation to more land in all seasons throughout the year," Islam added.
 

Deputy Director of the Burirhat Horticulture Center of the DAE in Rangpur, Dr. Md. Abu Sayem said almost all varieties of summer vegetables have already appeared in local markets following cultivation of early varieties adopting newer cropping patterns.

The DAE, Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute and other organisations are providing quality seeds, training and technologies to farmers to make the summer vegetable cultivation program a success.

In addition, various banks, including Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank and NGOs, are distributing agricultural and other easy-to-pay loans to farmers so that the massive winter vegetable cultivation program becomes successful.

"Many farmers have achieved self-reliance through farming vegetables on crop fields, homesteads, riverine char areas and silted-up riverbeds in recent years across the region," Sayem added.

Talking to BSS, farmers Nur Mohammad, Arifur Rahman, Moktadir Hossain and Fakhrul Islam from different villages of Rangpur Sadar upazila expressed satisfaction over the production of early varieties of summer vegetables and fair prices.

Vegetable trader Md Hafizur Rahman at Rangpur City Bazar said farmers are currently selling different varieties of summer vegetables at rates between Taka 25 and Taka 60 per kg on an average to the wholesale markets, local middlemen and fariahs.
 
Vegetable retailers are selling tomato at rates between Taka 30 and 35 per kg, potato between Taka 25 and 35 per kg, brinjal between Taka 50 and 80 per kg and bitter gourd between Taka 40 and 60 per kg.

'Kakrol' between Taka 70 and 80' per kg, 'Patal' at rates between Taka 40 and 50 per kg, ladies finger between Taka 50 and 55 per kg, onion between Taka 45 and 50 per kg and garlic between Taka 140 and 160 per kg.

Papaya between Taka 40 and 50 per kg, drumsticks at rates between Taka 100 and 110 per kg, cucumber between Taka 40 and 60 per kg and arum roots between Taka 60 and 70 per kg,

"Retailers are selling green chili at rates between Taka 40 and 45 per kg, sweet pumpkin between 25 and 30 per kg, snake gourd between Taka 35 and 50 per kg in the local markets," Rahman added.