Sylhet farmers busy cultivating winter vegetables

Sylhet Bureau :
The farmers in Sylhet are passing busy time in growing early winter vegetable this year. The early cultivation of vegetables has become popular across the country now. Earlier, winter vegetable farming was done only in winter season.
Sylhet district is famous for producing different varieties of vegetables throughout the year. Especially before the onset of winter, the farmers of this district earn more by cultivating early varieties of winter vegetables. Early winter beans, radishes, tomatoes, cauliflower and cabbage are being cultivated in vast fields of Sylhet this year. Due to immense rain, the farmers could not start vegetable cultivation on time this year. But, finally they started cultivating vegetables in full swing. They are hoping to produce a record amount of early varieties of winter vegetables this year if they are not affected by any natural calamity.
Cabbage, cauliflower, bean, radish, tmato, spinach, red spinach and green leafy vegetables are grown in different areas of the district. The price of the vegetables remains high at the beginning of winter. The farmers are busy in cultivating vegetables. Therefore, field preparation, sowing the seeds, planting and taking care of seedlings are on in full swing. The vast plains are now full of greeneries.
According to the Sylhet Department of Agricultural Extension, the draft target for winter vegetable cultivation in about 42,250 hectares of land in Sylhet this season has been set. Various varieties of vegetables have already been cultivated in 40 percent of the land. Farmers are taking care of these vegetables. These vegetables will be picked in approximately one and a half months for selling them in the markets.
Most of the fields were seen full of vegetable saplings. Farmers have started cultivating various vegetables including cauliflower, cabbage, radish, spinach, red spinach, green spinach, eggplant and tomato.
Sufian Khan, a farmer from Chintamony village in Osmaninagar upazila of the district, said that farmers wanted to bring winter vegetables to the market before the regular time. So, he has started farming a little earlier.
We hope the weather will be favourable and we will get good price as well, he added.
Hamimul Haque Sohag, Deputy Assistant Agriculture Officer of Angiadi Block of Pakundia upazila, said that farmers were encouraged to cultivate winter vegetables in advance as the prices of vegetables.
Agriculture Extension Department in Sylhet Region Deputy Director Kazi Muzibur Rahman said, “The farmers of the district cultivate various varieties of vegetables throughout the year. Farmers have started cultivating vegetables ahead of winter. In order to make the cultivation of these early winter varieties profitable, our field agriculture officers are cooperating with the farmers in various ways.”