Goalanda (Rajbari) correspondent

Farmers of Goaland upazila in Rajbari district are benefiting by cultivating eggplant every year. This eggplant is going to different markets of the country by fulfilling the local demand.

Every year the farmers are picking eggplants in advance and taking them home for profit. Other farmers are leaning towards eggplant cultivation. Round eggplant has been cultivated in the last few years, especially due to the high demand for it.

However, this year, new varieties of Nalita eggplant are being cultivated as these eggplants have higher yields and less damage to insects and spiders.

Going to the Daulatdia Devgram area of Goalanda on the ground, one can see eggplants in bunches in the middle of the greenery as far as the eye can see. Like every year, this year too there has been bumper eggplant yield in Goalanda of Rajbari. And many days have changed in this eggplant cultivation. Eggplants are sent from here to Faridpur, Bhanga, Barisal and Dhaka every year to meet the local demand. Especially round eggplant is in great demand here. Due to the abundance of fertile soil, rabi grains and vegetables are good here. However, this year the farmers are not getting the expected success in cultivating new eggplants of long Nalti variety.

Goaland Upazila Agriculture Officer Mr. Manzur Rahman told The country today that vegetables are being cultivated in 16.90 hectares of land in the financial year 2021-2022. However, the target of eggplant cultivation has been set in 8 hectares of land. Due to the high yield of Nalti variety of eggplant, the farmers have resorted to this eggplant cultivation. This eggplant grows from forty to eighty manas in bigha.

He said that several farmers in the area cultivate brinjal every year and get good price and profit by capturing the market at the beginning of winter. Padna gets good yield as it is on shore. We get their full support from the agriculture office.

Due to the absence of winter insect infestation and favorable weather conditions, the yield of winter eggplant has improved. Farmers are expecting to sell lakhs of rupees per bigha due to good yield and good price. And he can harvest about 40 manas per bigha of eggplant every week.

He is selling eggplant from 1 bigha of land for more than 30 thousand rupees per week. However, due to the absence of insect attack, the use of pesticides has decreased, which has reduced the additional cost to the farmers and they are getting safe vegetables.

Eggplant is widely grown in Daulatdia, Devgram and Ujanchar crop fields of Goaland upazila. And day by day the farmers of this region are falling for eggplant cultivation. Due to good prices, the farmers of this region cultivate winter eggplant in advance every year. This year also the farmers have planted eggplant extensively.

Due to the favorable weather, the yield has been much higher. At present farmers are getting good prices as there is demand for all kinds of vegetables in the market. The cost per bigha including eggplant seeds, fertilizer, cultivation and wages is about fifteen thousand rupees. Eggplant was initially sold at Rs 45-50 per kg in the market but now it is being sold at Rs 25-30 per kg.

And it is being sold at one thousand rupees to 12 hundred rupees per ounce. Farmers can pick eggplants from the eggplant field two to three times per week. About 15 to 16 ounces of eggplant can be harvested once per bigha. You can make about 40 to 50 pounds a week. Farmers are able to sell eggplants for around Tk 30,000 to Tk 35,000 per week.

Eggplant farmers Moslem Sardar and Abdul Gafur Mia of Daulatdia union of Goaland upazila said they have cultivated eggplant in a few bighas of land. The total cost of all of them is about fifteen thousand rupees per bigha. However, the yield has been good. Insect attacks are much less this time. Although the price has come down a bit due to the demand, at present they are selling eggplant at the wholesale price of Tk 25 to Tk 30 per kg. However, eggplants are being sold at Rs 35 to Rs 40 per kg in the market. However, the farmers said that they will be able to sell eggplants worth lakhs of rupees per bigha if the current prices are not reduced.

On the other hand, Jahangir Hossain of Nasir Sardar Para said that there is a little less profit in eggplant cultivation this year. However, it is compensating for Karolla and Patle because the price is higher this year but the yield is a little less but it is compensating.

Besides, other farmers in the region are also getting good yield and profit by cultivating brinjal. He also said that the families of the farmers are doing well in eggplant cultivation.

Munshi Bazar Atar Member Hat can be seen in all these areas. Large quantities of eggplants are being picked up from almost every house and brought to the market on horse carts. These will be sent to different parts of the country by truck at night. Aitdar Liton Mollah told the country today Patrika in this regard that eggplants were sent to different places including Dhaka and Barisal and the traders bought them from here.