Farmers in different upazilas of Bhola are attaining success in farming capsicum, a popular vegetable once considered foreign, in the last few years amid growing demand for the delicious food item in the country.
Growers said the good price of the vegetable in markets prompted them to cultivate it.
This year capsicum has been cultivated on 40 hectares of land, which is almost triple the target, according to the local office of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE).
DAE Deputy Director Binoy Krishna Debnath said that farming the vegetable has changed the lives of many farmers in the area.
"One gets motivation observing others' success," he said, adding that capsicum farming gained popularity rapidly as a result.
The climate and soil in the region were very suitable for capsicum farming and farmers got high yield with low costing, added Binoy.
He expects high yield of the vegetable this year as there are almost no pest-attack.
Capsicum farming will expand further there and surpass 100 acre of land next year, he hoped.
Visiting different fields of Bhola, farmers were found harvesting capsicum and passing very busy days.
About 150-200 farmers in the region have cultivated the vegetable this year.
Talking to this correspondent, they expressed happiness at their success in capsicum farming.
Hasem Kerani, a farmer from Bhola Sadar, said that he cultivated capsicum on three acres of land being inspired by his neighbours.
"I invested a total of Tk3 lakh for lands, workers' wages, seeds, fertilizer and pesticides to grow the vegetable on three acre and already sold capsicum worth Tk7 lakh," he said.
"I expect more than Tk5 lakh from selling the rest of the vegetables," he added.
Abdur Rahman, another farmer, said that he cultivated capsicum on two acre of land and spent about Tk3 lakh.
"I have already earned Tk5 lakh and expects Tk5 lakh more from the rest of the vegetables," he added.
Rahman said that the number of farmers in capsicum cultivation was increasing day by day for its high profitability.
Farmers get good price
Farmers at wholesale markets said that they could sell their produced capsicum at a good price of Tk150-200 per kilogram.
"Getting a good price in the market is very important for us (farmers)," said Md Siddique, who cultivated capsicum on one acre of land.
"Sometimes we produce crops, but cannot sell them at an affordable price, which hits us hard," he said, adding that farming capsicum was less stressful for them considering market price.
How it began in Bhola
A farmer at Kachia Union under Bhola Sadar Upazila called Monir Pathan started farming capsicum six to seven years ago on 10 decimals of land on a trial basis.
He got huge success and earned a significant amount of money.
Other farmers and his neighbours, inspired by Pathan, started farming capsicum on their lands and this was how the foreign vegetable farming gained popularity in the region.