Fate is smiling on the farmers of Ukhia upazila, Cox's Bazar with the cultivation of vegetables for commercial purpose, what has alleviated them from poverty and added to the produce of nutrition locally.
Government officials said they are producing a bumper harvest.
About one-third of the farmers in the upazila's Jaliapalang, Ratnapalang, Haldiapalang, Rajpalang and Palangkhali unions are now cultivating vegetables for profit.
Farmer Rashid Ahmed from Ratnapalang told the Dhaka Tribune that the economic solvency of his family returned with the cultivation of cheap vegetables.
“I have been farming vegetables for the last five years. I mixed-cultivated cauliflower, cabbage, raddish, chilli, potato, beans, onion and garlic this winter and earned Tk60,000 in each harvest.”
Others have been encouraged with the success of Rashid Ahmed and have begun vegetable cultivation, but, they complain that the under-developed infrastructure in the area was affecting the harvest.
Jaliapalang's farmers Fazal Karim, Soltan Ahmed, Joynal Uddin and others complained to the Dhaka Tribune they were struggling with the available electricity and communication services.
If these two problems are mainly eradicated, the union will see a major economic makeover, they said. “A large portion of our produce are spoiled each season because of these challenges.”
Ukhia upazila Agriculture Officer Mohammad Asaduzzaman told the Dhaka Tribune many farmers were resorting to vegetables in addition to Boro harvest.
He claimed it was because of the active role of his office that the farmers were managing a bumper produce of vegetables.
