Tk 100 crore earning target: Bumper tomato harvest in Rajshahi
Reza Mahmud :
Farmers from Rajshahi area witness bumper harvesting of tomato this year. Due to good yields and higher prices, farmers are hoping for increased profits expecting earnings of Tk100 crore this year.
Among the districts’ upazilas, Godagari has the highest tomato cultivation. It meets Rajshahi’s demand and is widely known as the country’s “Tomato Kingdom.”
Most of the country’s tomatoes are produced in this upazila, which is why Godagari is referred to as the “Tomato Kingdom.”
Farmers in the area said that because tomato prices fluctuate from year to year, many had previously lost interest in tomato cultivation.
However, farmers in the Padma River char (river island) areas are increasingly turning to tomato farming. Every year, tomato cultivation is expanding in the char areas.
Due to the fertile alluvial soil, tomatoes grown in the char lands are larger in size than those from the Barind region, and farmers are receiving better prices.
Referring Rajshahi Department of Agricultural Extension, our Rajshahi Correspondent Muhibul Arefin said tomatoes have been cultivated on 3,146 hectares of land in Rajshahi this year. Of this, 2,670 hectares are in Godagari upazila alone.
Income from tomatoes in this upazila is expected to reach Tk 100 crore this year. Tomato trading has also created temporary employment for 8,000 to 9,000 people.
Data from the Department of Agricultural Extension show that in the 2018–19 fiscal year, tomatoes were cultivated on 2,650 hectares of land in Godagari.
Six years later, following the same trend, tomato cultivation in the 2024–25 fiscal year has increased slightly to 2,670 hectares.
The production target from these lands is 74,760 tonnes. If the average selling price is Tk 15 per kilogram, total earnings will reach Tk 1.1214 billion.
About 8,000 farmers are directly involved in tomato cultivation.
Sources said that tomatoes are sold directly from the fields.
Because production and marketing are relatively easy, farmers are becoming more interested in tomato cultivation, leading to increased enthusiasm for tomato farming.
Generally, tomato cultivation begins after the harvesting of Aus rice.
In Godagari upazila, 17–20 varieties of tomatoes are cultivated, most of which are hybrid. Compared to any other field crop, tomato farming is highly profitable.
However, due to fears of losses related to yield, seed quality, and prices, cultivation rates increase in some years and decrease in others.
Tomato farmer Akbar from Pirijpur village in Godagari said, “We have always cultivated tomatoes. Some years we make profits, and some years we suffer losses.
But this year our tomato cultivation has gone well. We are hopeful of making good profits this year.”
Another farmer from the same village, Samad Ali, said, “I cultivated tomatoes on three and a half bighas of land.
After deducting all expenses, I made a profit of nearly Tk 150,000. Now I am not harvesting tomatoes from the field anymore because there is no price.
The price does not even cover the labor cost. I will cut down the tomato plants and cultivate paddy instead.”
Rajshahi tomato trader Mukhtar said that there are plenty of good-quality tomatoes this year and prices have been good.
“I send one truckload of tomatoes to Dhaka every day. Tomatoes are being sent to Dhaka, Chattogram, Sylhet, and Cumilla.
However, because prices have fluctuated at times, we have faced both profits and losses. Overall, the profit has not been significant.”
Upazila Agriculture Officer Mariam Ahmed said that tomatoes are cultivated twice a year in this region, including summer tomatoes, which fetch higher prices.
“This year, these tomatoes were sold in the market at prices ranging from Tk 15 to Tk 160 per kilogram.”
She added that if an average price of Tk 15 per kilogram is considered, total earnings would reach Tk 1.1214 billion.
In addition, tomato trading has created temporary employment for 8,000 to 9,000 people.
Deputy Director of the Rajshahi Department of Agricultural Extension, Nasir Uddin, said,
“This year, tomatoes have been cultivated on 3,146 hectares of land in Rajshahi.
The current weather is favorable for tomato cultivation. From the agriculture office, we are regularly monitoring farmers.
We strictly monitored seed companies to ensure that quality seeds were supplied to farmers.
Besides this, the Department of Agricultural Extension is continuing to provide farmers with support and advisory services in various areas.