Unfavourable weather: Vegetable farming faces setback

Vegetable growers in three unions of Nazirpur upazila are facing a huge setback as they may not get the expected production of crops due to unfavourable weather condition this season. 

Usually, farmers of at least 25 villages under those unions pass busy time in harvesting different vegetable from long ridges of soil, locally called 'Kandi' during this time of the season.

But the scenario is completely different this year due to prolonged adverse weather condition.

As a result, most of the high platforms made with soil and water hyacinth to grow crops in the marshland remain empty as local farmers failed to grow expected winter vegetables due to unfavourable weather condition for the last two months.

Geographically almost all the villages under Daulbari Dobra, Kolardoania and Malikhali unions are marshland, which remains under water all the year round.

So, during the winter farmers make long ridges of soil, which is about 90-feet long and four to five feet wide, to serve as raised beds for crops when the water rise. 

According of the upazila agriculture office, of the three unions, Daulbari Dobra produces the most quantity of vegetables during the winter.

Every year, farmers cultivate vegetable on at least 1,400 hectares of marshland, using the Kandi method.

After meeting local demands, local farmers sell their products including pumpkin, bottle gourd, brinjal, bean, cauliflower, cabbage, turnip, bitter gourd, sweet gourd, tomato, arum spinach, cucumber, green chili and other winter season vegetables to buyers from different other districts across the country.

Farmers said they start harvesting the vegetables in January and continues for next three to four months.

"We are a bit frustrated this year," said Manik Fakir of Beel Dumuria village, adding that most of his vegetable plants got damaged due to continuous rainfall in December last year.

Later, local farmers planted different vegetable seeds again, but that too could not grow properly due to cold wave and thick fog since mid-December.

Local farmers said though the prices of different vegetables are quite high this season, they are being deprived of getting the benefit due to the setback.

Another farmer Taposh Gharami said due to high production cost they will have to count loss, instead of making profit.

Shekhar Mistry, a vegetable wholesaler, said he goes to different villages by boat and collect vegetables, but due to adverse weather condition the area witnessed a drastic fall in production this year.