Md Nazmul,  Morrelgonj (Bagerhat) 

As the sun moves from east to west, thousands of sunflowers turn their faces toward it and smile. That very smile, blooming on the saline fallow lands of the coastal region, is now sowing the seeds of a new dream in the fields of Bagerhat’s farmers.

A revolution in sunflower cultivation has taken root in the fallow lands of nine upazilas in Bagerhat, including Morelganj, which lies adjacent to the world's largest mangrove forest—the Sundarbans. With low costs, short cultivation periods, and high yields, sunflower farming has brought a golden smile to the faces of farmers.

Hundreds of farmers across the 16 unions of Morelganj upazila are now counting their profits while admiring the beauty of sunflowers blooming on once-barren land.

In the current season, each bigha of land is producing 7–8 maunds (280–320 kg) of sunflower seeds, which sell for approximately Tk 35,000 to Tk 40,000. The cost of cultivation is only around Tk 5,000. That means farmers are earning an average profit of Tk 30,000–35,000 per bigha!

Inspired by this success, interest in sunflower farming is spreading to neighboring areas. Over 100 farmers from Kathaltala, Bhaijora, and Bisharighata villages have cultivated sunflowers on nearly 20 hectares of fallow land this year.

Abdur Rahim Hawlader, a farmer from Bhaijora, said,
“The land that once produced nothing is now giving me an income of around Tk 35,000 per bigha from sunflower farming. I never imagined such earnings before.”

Shahidul Islam Liton from the same village said,
“This year I got double the yield compared to last year. Sunflower farming requires less labor, yet offers much higher profits.”

Farmers say sunflower oil is cholesterol-free and very beneficial for health. They’re not only using it at home but also making profits from selling it in the market.
Moreover, the leftover sunflower cake, after oil extraction, can be used to produce biogas—potentially helping alleviate the fuel crisis. However, they say government and private support is essential for this.

Farmers have also demanded free seeds, fertilizers, training, and oil processing facilities.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Md. Saiful Islam said,
“This year, sunflower has been cultivated on 110 hectares of land in Morelganj. We expect this area to expand in the future.”

Shankar Kumar Majumdar, Deputy Director of the District Agriculture Office, said,
“Due to various government incentives, farmers are getting more interested in sunflower cultivation. With good oil prices, the appeal of this crop is growing. Through this, we can ensure not only food security but also economic prosperity.”

Where once barren lands stood idle, now bloom fields of golden flowers—not just a sight of beauty, but a symbol of boundless potential. If government support continues, sunflower could soon become the new face of agricultural revolution in Bagerhat’s soil.