Zakir Azad, Cumilla

Farmers are smiling with the satisfaction of prosperity due to the bumper yield of early radish cultivation in the Gomti river pastures of Cumilla .

Many farmers do not profit if they do not cultivate radish on time. Radish is not a vegetable for anyone. However, Gomti's paddy farmers are getting good prices for early radish cultivation. Cultivating radish 3-4 times. You get 3 times profit. So this radish has now become white gold for the farmer.

According to the sources of agriculture office, Radish is now seen in the land of the farmers along Gomti River in Cumillas Sadar, Burichong, Debidwar, Muradnagar upazilas. Already some have planted radish three times, some four times. 30 to 60,000 taka earned per 40 percent of the land.

Farmers are producing this radish in 35 to 40 days. Radish farmers of Bhanti area of Burichong upazila started sowing radish from this month. Some varieties can be harvested in 35-40 days after sowing, some varieties in 50-60 days. 60 to 1 lakh per kani is sold. Where it costs 30-40 thousand taka.

After meeting the demand of the area, the radish is sold and goes to Chittagong and Dhaka. After 3-4 times of radish production, the farmers cultivate early potatoes in pasture lands. Sweet pumpkin seeds are sown as a companion crop 10-15 days after potato sowing.

Abu Taher Member and Farooq Ahmed, farmers of local Bhanti village, said that floods occur when Gomti is inundated by hill slopes during monsoons. In addition, radishes are attacked by insects that cause wounds. Problems are sometimes encountered in these two matters. Radish growers seek relief from pest infestation.

Jahangir Alam, a farmer of Balikhara village, said, I cultivated radish on 6 kani land. The taste of this mullein char is good. So it is in demand outside the district.

Local deputy assistant agriculture officer Shariful Islam said that radish cultivation is more in Balikhara, Purbhura and Kamarkhara of Sholanal block. Upazila Agriculture Office is working to provide relief from pest infestation. We provide necessary advice to farmers.

In this regard, Upazila Agriculture Officer (acting) agriculturist Banin Roy said, several activities have already been taken to ensure safe radish production, including reducing the cost of radish farmers. A research team from Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute's entomology department will visit the radish field next week. Along with this, there is a plan to organize a training workshop for radish farmers.

Deputy Director of District Agricultural Extension Directorate of Cumilla . Mizanur Rahman said, various types of vegetables are cultivated in the alluvial soil of Gomti Char. There are 4 thousand hectares of pasture land here.

Farmers are benefiting by cultivating Radish early in fodder. So they cultivate radish 3-4 times in a row.