Educated youths in Khulna's Dumuria upazila have taken to farming, breaking stereotypes about farming not being prestigious for educated youth to take up as an occupation.
Frustrated with not getting any jobs even after searching for years, they are finding vegetable farming as a means of earning a livelihood. Their lifestyle has changed and their families are thanking them for their efforts.
Farmer Israil Sheikh, who lives at Kholshi village, said he had been searching for jobs after passing BA in 1992, but has failed to get any. He could not continue job search for long because his family had been beset by livelihood problems after his father died in 1987.
He said he resorted to farming and bore the cost of educating his three brothers, and marrying off his two sisters from what he earned growing rice and vegetables on two acres of leased land. Now his family is doing well.
Farmer Israil informed boro paddy could be grown on a fish enclosure as well as cultivating fish there simultaneously, and vegetables can be farmed on the isles of the fish enclosure all the year round.
Roughly, there are 34,500 people involved in the vegetable farming in the upazila. Of them, about 3000 are educated youth. A farmer can earn Tk1/2 lakh, excluding costs, from vegetable farming on an acre of enclosure isle every year.
Vegetables are now grown on the isles of fish enclosures at all 14 unions of the upazilas, though they were used to be grown at only two unions initially. Vegetables and plums have been being cultivated on the isles for five to seven years on a large scale.
Headmaster of Rajapur Birsreshtha Mostofa Kamal Government Primary School Sheikh Nazrul Islam said he cultivates half of his 16 bighas of land and the rest are being jointly cultivated by educated youths Saidul Sheikh and Md Lavlu Sheikh.
“Fifteen to twenty percent of unemployed youths are resorting to farming to get rid of the curse of the unemployment. Most of them are earning self-reliance either by farming their ancestral land or by taking land on lease.”
Former Chhatra League activist Molla Sohel Rana, who lives at Sajiara village, said he passed BA in 1996, but could not secure a job and so took up farming as an occupation. He was making quite good profits from farming vegetables as per agriculture officials.
Farmer Soroj Biswas, who lives at Sholua village, is now awaiting his masters results in history at Khulna Government BL College. As well as continuing his study, he has been growing vegetables on the isles of the five acres of fish enclosures for seven years.
Hailed as the best farmer in the upazila, Ali Morol of Khornia village said he had changed his lot by cultivating cauliflower. He had even gone abroad on a government trip as a reward for his success.
Vegetable haats sit at Ula Bazar, Grojendrapur, Thukra Ambhita, Sholgatia, Chechuri, Gutudia, Shobhona, Mirzapur, Nuton Rasta, Moikhali, Gabtola, Kathaltola, Atlia, Chuknogor, Atharomail and Ghona Banda in the upazila.
Traders buy vegetables and transport them to different parts in the country, including Dhaka city, by truck. Local farmers have demanded a permanent vegetable wholesale market be set up under the government initiative so that they get fair vegetables prices.
During Kharip-1 season, vegetables were grown on 2000 hectares of land and during Kharip-2; they were cultivated on 2250 hectares of land and during Robi season, vegetables were farmed on 2780 hectares of land in the upazila
Upazila Agriculture Extension Department Officer Nazrul Islam said there were deep ties between farmers and agriculture officers, which has made it possible to bring such a vegetable farming success in the upazila.
