OUR CORRESPONDENT, Benapole

Faruk Hossain, a retired member of the Bangladesh Army and resident of Jagadishpur village under Jashore’s Chowgachha upazila, has found success in bitter gourd cultivation by adopting modern farming practices.

He has been growing bitter gourds using trellises instead of traditional methods, and following a crop rotation on the same plot of land, a method agriculture officials say can improve land use and reduce costs over time.

The method involves raised beds covered with polythene during early growth, followed by bamboo-and-wire trellises that allow the vines to climb, improving yield and quality, according to the farmer.

Faruk said he has been earning around Tk 2.5 lakh per season by cultivating hybrid varieties of bitter gourds on one bigha since 2024, alongside hybrid chilli and small watermelon on adjacent 10-katha plots, as well as Boro paddy on five bighas.

After harvesting bitter gourds, Faruk said he reused the same trellis to grow cucumbers, This

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