M. Muslim Chowdhury/ Srimangal/ Moulvibazar/ Representative/

For the past few decades, several farmers have been cultivating gourds simultaneously and every year the bumper crop is now calling the village the name of gourd village. Some also say vegetable village. By whatever name it is called, the original name of the village is Parer Tong. It falls in Ashidron Union of Srimangal Upazila of Moulvibazar District. After entering the village, you can see Karola Machang. Corollas are hanging below this canopy surrounded by green leaves.
Srimangal Assistant Agriculture Officer Masuk Miah said that most of the farmers have grown Lalti seed tia and tia super varieties of corolla over about hundred acres of this village. Just as the farmers have become independent by cultivating corolla, the local men and women are benefiting by working to eat corolla as daily wages.
Village gourd farmer Md. Nasu Mia said, he first brought gourd seeds of red arrow seed and cultivated it commercially in Tong village. After seeing his bumper yield, many people started planting gourds. Now there is a house-to-house gourd farmer in the village. He said, “Many people in the village are now cultivating bitter gourd. I like to see that they are self-sustaining. I still help when someone comes to me for advice. Amena Begum, the housewife of the village, said, I don’t have my own land. I earn 300/400 taka daily by working for others. Parer Tong collection point market opened in Parer Tong area for sale of these gourds and other vegetables. Where many wholesalers visit every day to buy gourds. General secretary of Tong collection point market. Hamdul Haque said, here we set a price. Wholesalers buy at this price. He said, every day 8/10 thousand kg of Corolla is sold from this collection point. Tapas Chakraborty, divisional manager of Laltir Seed Limited, said that earlier in this village the locals used to cultivate paddy, kachu, vines and other vegetables. Now almost every family is involved in gourd cultivation. We suggest to the people of this village to grow tia first and then tia super variety. They got good yield by cultivating it. To say this yield is more than our expectations.
He said Corolla Tia and Tia Super are day neutral hybrid varieties. Altitude and salinity tolerant variety. It can be cultivated throughout the year except severe winters. Fruits are attractive green in color and moderately pitted. The fruit is moderately bitter, soft and delicious. Fruits are 28 to 30 cm long and weigh 250-280 grams. Its yield is 12-13 tons per acre. Harvesting can be started 42 to 45 days after planting. Agronomist Zaheer Ahmed, chief manager of Lal Tir Seed Marketing, came from Dhaka to Srimangal to see the bumper crop of corolla in Tonga on Tuesday afternoon. He said, “I came to see this bumper crop of Korla with my own eyes. I am really impressed with the results.

Srimangal Upazila Agricultural Officer Agriculturist Md. Mohiuddin said, due to the profitableness of gourd cultivation, its production is increasing day by day. In Srimangal upazila this year, more than 30 hectares of corolla land has been cultivated. 90 percent of which is in Tong village of Par.