TDS Desk:

The harvesting of carrots is going on in full swing in Manda upazila of the district as excellent yield surfaced during the current season.

The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) office said the weather of the district is quite suitable for carrot cultivation and due to continuous dense fog and the absence of long-term cold waves and high-quality seed, there has been a bumper harvest of Carrots in the northern district.

However, the maximum carrot cultivation in the district is in Manda upazila. Farmers have increased their interest in carrot cultivation in the district due to less labour and cost, higher production and good prices.

According to the DAE, carrots have been cultivated on 600 bighas of land in the upazila this season. Of this, this crop is cultivated more in some nearby villages including Bilkarilya, Kusumba, and Badalghata, it added.

There is a possibility of producing at least 72,000 maunds of carrots from the upazila with an estimated market price of Tk3.5 crore.

Hanif Uddin Mandal, a farmer from Bilkarilya village of the upazila, said, “This time I have cultivated Carrots on 15 bighas of land spending Tk14,000-15,000 per bigha. The production of carrots per bigha is 130 to 140 maunds. I will have a profit of Tk40,000-45,000 per bigha of land, excluding expenses.”

Nizam Uddin, a carrot farmer from Kusumba village, said, “Last year, I made a good profit by cultivating Carrots on six bighas of land. This year, I have cultivated Carrots on a total of 15 bighas of land, spending Tk14,000-16,000 thousand per bigha.”

He is expecting 110 maunds to 120 maunds of carrots from one bigha of land.

At the beginning of the season, one kilogram (Kg) of Carrot is sold at Tk30-35. Accordingly, per maund is being sold at Tk560 to 640.

Currently, the supply in the market has increased as everyone is harvesting and the price has come down slightly. Now it is being sold for Taka 14-16 per kg. The profit after expenses is Tk35,000-40,000 per bigha of land.

Abul Bashar, a farmer from Bilkarilya village, said that every year, Carrot cleaning work is going on at different points in the village with the help of nine machines.

At least 2,000 maunds of carrots are processed at these points every day. After that, they are supplied to different areas of the country including Naogaon, Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj and Bogura.

Ishahak Ali Mandal, a farmer from Kushumba village, said many people have cultivated potatoes and mustard in the surrounding land. However, instead of cultivating those crops, farmers cultivated Carrots on their land due to their demand.

Bidyut Hossain, a carrot trader of the upazila, said that carrots are collected directly from the land. Carrots of Tk5 lakh are being sold every day in the area.

Abul Kalam Azad, deputy director of the DAE, said due to favourable weather conditions, there has been a bumper production of Carrots this year.

Along with the production, the market price is also quite good. Carrots have been cultivated on 270 hectares of land in the district this year.

The yield per hectare has been 15 tonnes. This time, the DAE is expecting to sell carrots worth about Tk5 crore from Manda upazila.