Chandan Bhattacharjee, Rupsha (Khulna)

Farmers  are changing their fortunes by cultivating summer tomatoes in Tilak, Patharghata, Srirampur and Naihati villages of Rupsa upazila. They dream of financial solvency due to the good yield of summer tomato cultivation. Along with male farmers, women have also come forward in farming in this upazila. Apart from the bumper yield, the farmers are happy with the good price of tomatoes in the market. According to Agriculture Office sources, under the GKBSP scheme and the program to increase summer tomato and onion production in a profitable manner, one and a half hectares in Tilak village of TSB union, 05 hectares in Patharghata village, 05 hectares in Naihati Winyon and Srirampur and Naihati villages and 25 hectares in Aichgati union and Ghatbhog.  Summer Bari hybrid-8 variety of tomato has been grown in Union on 25 hectares of land. 50 farmers are involved in tomato cultivation. According to the relevant sources, seedlings should be produced in the seed bed in June-July. Later the seedling should be planted in the polythene shed and taken care of.  Crop production starts within one and a half to two months after planting. Yields are available for three consecutive months. Farmer Nizam Uddin Bhuiyan cultivated summer tomatoes in Tilak village. He said, this year I cultivated summer tomatoes in 10th century land.  It has cost about 20-25 thousand taka to cultivate. Seeds, fertilizers and financial support have been given from the agriculture office. So far about 100 kg of tomatoes have been raised from the ground. It has been sold at wholesale rate of 75-80 per kg. If everything goes well, I can sell tomatoes worth 1 lakh Taka. Rupsa Upazila Agriculture Officer Md. Faridujjaman said, in different villages of Rupsa Upazila, a lot of tomatoes are cultivated in the perimeter aisles in winter.  But at that time the price of tomato is low in the market. For that, last year for the first time with the help of agriculture office, some farmers saw success and benefited financially by cultivating summer tomatoes.  Due to last year’s success, this year 50 farmers planted summer tomatoes with the help of Agriculture Office.  Seeds, fertilizers and other inputs are distributed from the Agriculture Office. As a result, summer tomatoes have been cultivated in about 3 hectares of land this year.  In the future, the tomato plantation will increase more.  He also said that the agriculture department is continuing to provide all kinds of advice and support to the farmers for the production of summer tomatoes.