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Cauliflower, cabbage growers cheered by unexpected profits
PHOTO: S DILIP ROY
S DILIP ROY
Around 20,000 farmers in Lalmonirhat and Kurigram who cultivated cauliflower and cabbage have been left pleasantly surprised by unexpected profits this year following significant losses in 2021, when nationwide lockdowns were imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19.
There is high demand for these vegetables in the domestic market and so, wholesalers from all over the country are flocking to buy them from growers in the two northern districts of Rangpur.
Farmers said they are now getting between Tk 20 to Tk 22 per kilogramme (kg) of cauliflower while the same amount was valued at just Tk 4 to Tk 5 last year.
Similarly, wholesalers are buying cabbage for about Tk 10 to Tk 12 per kg while it cost just Tk 2 to Tk 3 for the same amount in 2021.
Meanwhile, retailers are selling cauliflower and cabbage for around Tk 30 per kg and Tk 16 per kg respectively.
Cauliflower was cultivated on 2,500 hectares of land in Lalmonirhant and 3,000 hectares in Kurigram this season, according to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).
Likewise, cabbage was cultivated on a total of 2,500 hectares of land, with Lalmonirhat providing 900 hectares while the remaining 1,600 hectares was in Kurigram.
Saidur Rahman, a cauliflower grower of Fulgachh village in Lalmonirhat sadar upazila, told The Daily Star that he planted the vegetable on two bighas of land this season at a cost of about Tk 48,000.
Out of 8,300 saplings, 8,000 provided yields with each cauliflower weighing between 800 grammes to one kg.
Saidur went on to say that it costs about Tk 6 to produce each piece of cauliflower and so, he was very happy to be getting unexpected profits.
“During this time last year, I sold cauliflower at Tk 5 per kg, suffering huge losses in the process,” he said adding, that he hopes to get a total profit of around Tk 1 lakh from farming the vegetable this year.
Mazibar Rahman, a farmer of Haziganj Bhatitari village in Lalmonirhat’s Aditmari upazila, told this correspondent that he cultivated cabbage on six bighas of land this year at a cost of about Tk 50,000.
“I have already sold cabbage worth Tk 1.20 lakh and am hoping to get another Tk 1.50 lakh from selling the rest of the crop still in the field,” he said.
“I had cultivated cabbage on eight bighas of land last year but suffered losses of around Tk 40,000,” Mazibar added.
Suresh Chandra Mohanta, a cauliflower grower of Phulmati village in Kurigram’s Phulbari upazila, said he was quite happy with this year’s profit from cultivating the vegetable on eight bighas of land.
“I knew I would get better prices than last year but I didn’t expect such a huge profit,” he said.
The increased demand for cauliflower is also adding to the crop’s profitability as wholesalers are coming from all over the country.
Roughly 4,000 to 4,500 cauliflower seedlings can be cultivated on each bigha of land at a cost of about Tk 20,000 to Tk 25,000.
Akkas Ali, a vegetable trader at Poura Market in Kurigram town, told The Daily Star that thanks to the huge turnout of wholesalers this season, farmers are being able to sell their produce at higher rates.
While speaking to this correspondent, Nur Islam, a vegetable wholesaler based in Dhaka, said they are buying both cauliflower and cabbage from growers in Rangpur at higher prices as there is a shortage in the country’s southern region.
“By buying cauliflower and cabbage from growers in Lalmonirhat and Kurigram, I have been supplying them to the capital market,” he said.
Shamim Ashraf, deputy director of the DAE in Lalmonirhat, said all farmers who cultivated cauliflower and cabbage are getting unexpected profits and higher yields this year.
“But other than cauliflower and cabbage, farmers are currently getting good prices for all other vegetables as well,” Shamim added.