Bottle gourd farming boon for Meherpur farmers

Hundreds of farmers in Meherpur are happy to make good profit by farming bottle gourd this year. Due to favourable weather, low labour cost and high demand, farming of the popular item is increasing day by day in the district. 

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), farmers of around 30 villages in the district cultivated bottle gourd on around 475 bighas of land this year. This is 125 bighas more than last year.

The farmers have now captured the markets across the country, DAE sources said. 

Robiul Islam, a 43-year old farmer at Madna village in Sadar upazila of the district, has been farming bottle gourd for the last seven or eight years. This correspondent talked to him at Benagari field where he farmed bottle gourd on three bighas of land. “I have been lucky farming this vegetable,” Robiul said.

According to Robiul, he went to a foreign country selling his two bighas of land 10 years back, but had to return to Bangladesh with empty hands within two years.

“Bottle gourd farming has given me three bighas within five years,” Robiul said.

Farmers of Madandanga, Amjhupi, Subidpur, Chandbill, Teghoria shared this view.

Abul Kashem, an assistant teacher of Gopalpur High School in Amjhupi union, is known as a good vegetable-grower in the area. He has cultivated bottle gourd on five bighas of lands. “People, especially marginal farmers, are being benefited by gourd farming in this area,” Kashem said.

According to Kashem, a lot of farmers have become solvent within two or three years of bottle gourd farming. Many have built houses, many have bought more land and many are sending their kids to school. 

  Farmers said their product is being sent to different areas including Dhaka, Chittagong, Barisal and Gopalganj.

According to DAE officials and the farmers, bottle gourd farming gradually gained popularity in the areas in the last seven or eight years.

Suitable weather, low production cost and good demand inspired the farmers. Early harvesting ensures a handsome price for the commercial growers. The farmers are using different varieties of seeds, they added.

AKM Kamruzzaman, agriculture officer of Meherpur Sadar upazila, said production cost of bottle gourd on one bigha is Tk 10,000 on average, and the return is Tk 40,000 to Tk 45,000.

The official said farmers need to use fertilisers like urea, TSP, MP and gypsum, which have to be purchased. But farmers mostly use locally processed cowdung as manure in producing the vegetable, which keeps the production cost low. “It doesn't require much pesticide,” said the official.

According to nutrition specialists, bottle gourd is a popular vegetable across the world due to its high nutrition value.  

Dipak Kumar Paul, a professor of Applied Food and Nutrition Department of Kushtia Islamic University, said green bottle gourds are used as curry. The leaves and tender stem are also used as delicious and nutritious vegetables. It is an easily digestible vegetable which keeps the body cool and prevents constipation.