Gofran Biswas Palash, Kalapara (Patuakhali)

Farmers are getting interested in vegetable cultivation in Kalapara of Patuakhali. With the training of the agriculture department, many farmers have started to grow and sell the high-yielding diana gourds on the banks of abandoned land, ponds and reservoirs by making lofts with nets and selling them in the local market. The eyes of these poor farmers now have a glimmer of happiness.

According to sources, Siddique Hawladar, a poor farmer of Tiakhali village of Tiakhali Union of the upazila, was unable to support his family of 4 by growing paddy on his own piece of land and used to work as an agricultural laborer on other people's land. It was like running out of water to bring salt. Finally, on the advice of the Deputy Assistant Agriculture Officer of Tiakhali Block of the Agriculture Department, he received training in vegetable cultivation from the Agriculture Department. After the training, he got the agricultural equipment and built a loft with a net on his abandoned land, the bank of the reservoir and cultivated high-yielding Diana gourds.

After a month or two, his net loft was filled with green gourd vines. Since then he started cutting gourd vines and selling them in the market for 30-40 taka. Day by day the rind of the gourd started to hang down from the gourd vine. He started cutting gourds as soon as they became salable. Then he sold each peach gourd in the market at the rate of 60 taka. As the price of his fresh vegetable gourds increased in the local market, the wholesalers came and started buying them at wholesale rates from the house. Many farmers became interested in cultivating high-yielding Diana gourds.

Farmer Md. Siddique Howladar (48) said, 'I used to spend my days in agony to support my family. One day I went to the office on the advice of a sir from the agriculture office. Later I got free Diana gourd seeds with training from them and planted gourd seeds in 50th decimal land. We make a loft with a net for the seedlings to come out from the seeds. It cost me 20 thousand taka. In the last two months I have earned 60-65 thousand taka by selling vegetables and gourds. My loft is still full of vegetables and gourds.'

Md. Arafat Hossain, Upazila Agriculture Officer. said, "Several farmers like Siddique Howladar have been able to eliminate poverty by cultivating Diana gourd from the SACP exhibition of the Agriculture Department. From the agriculture office we are working full time at field level to provide advice along with training to farmers. So that not even an inch of land is left unclaimed. Our aim is to achieve success in agriculture.