The cultivation of okra, or ladies finger, is becoming popular among farmers in villages in Batiaghata upazila in Khulna.
They are going for extensive farming of the green vegetable to recoup the losses from boro paddy, sources said.
Farmers in the district have not been getting expected profits from boro cultivation due to unfair prices. Earlier, they also suffered huge losses in shrimp cultivation, which was affected by viruses following cyclonic storms Sidr and Aila. Excessive rain also hampered the aman paddy production, reported UNB.
Dry weather has made it possible for farmers in 28 villages to reap the yield of the vegetable beyond expectation, enabling them to cover the earlier losses, agriculture officials said.
Production of okra on one hectare land costs Tk80,000, while it sells at up to Tk37.5m.
Batiaghata sadar union member Sheuli Mistri said:“For the first time, the farmers are becoming interestedin cultivating the vegetable instead of boro and aman.”
“This will generate employment opportunities to hundreds of people in the dry season,” he said, adding that if the farmers get bank loans, cultivation of okra could expand in the region on a large scale.