Bangladesh: Tomato farming brings smiles to Rajshahi farmers

The tomato farming appeared as a fortune changer for many farmers as it made many peasants solvent in the region this year with also significantly infusing dynamism into the local economy. Sources said, tens of thousands of farmers have become self-reliant through tomato farming only in Godagari Upazila of Rajshahi district. In the current season, the cash crop has brought smiles on the face of the farmers as they are getting expected yield and market price since the very beginning of the harvesting period. The tomatoes produced without chemicals are being sent to different districts including the capital Dhaka after meeting the local demands. Many of the farmers are delighted over cultivating and harvesting chemical-free tomatoes. Ziarul Islam, a farmer of Ishwaripur village said he has cultivated two hybrid varieties of tomato on one and a half bighas of land spending Taka one lakh. In the last two weeks, he sold tomatoes worth Taka 30,000 and wholesalers, as well as retailers, ...