Staff Reporter:

Tomato farming through mulching method is gaining popularity in the district as the method plays a vital role towards making the growers solvent and happy for the last couple of years.

Farmers of the district are getting profit cultivating tomato using the method.

Mulching is an eco-friendly method of farming vegetables freed from chemical use widely practiced in China and Japan. The method is also helpful towards protecting the crops from weed and waterlogging caused by incessant rainfall.

Farmers of the region are seen using the method in vegetable farming commercially and they are getting benefits in terms of boosting yield.

Nejab Ali, 40, a farmer of Aliarpur village in Ullapara upazila of the district, has benefited by cultivating tomatoes using mulching method.

Following him, many farmers of the area are now dreaming of cultivating tomatoes using the method.

Nejab Ali said, “I have taken training on tomato cultivation using mulching method from Manab Mukti Sangstha (MMS). After getting training, I prepared beds on 25 decimal of land near my house and planted seedlings at the end of October 2024 and started cultivating tomatoes using the method.”

“Currently, many people are coming to see it. I have already sold about eight maunds of tomatoes in the market, he added.

He said the total cost of cultivating tomatoes on 25 decimal of land is Taka 40 to 42 thousand.

However, this time the profit is a little less because the price of tomatoes is low in the market. Despite this, there will be a profit of Taka 25-30 thousand this year.

MMS Agriculture Officer Mustafa Kamal said mulching is a technique which controls the temperature. It also protects the tree from pathogens. It prevents excess water. There are no weeds at the base of the tree. To cultivate tomatoes in this method, first prepare the land and mix the required fertilizer with the soil to make a bed.

Ullapara Upazila Agriculture Officer Suborna Yasmin Sumi said the crops

currently being produced here and several farmers have achieved great success by cultivating tomatoes.

Interest among local farmers is increasing day by day as tomato cultivation is profitable and they are very happy that both the yield and price of tomatoes are good, the agriculture officer added.

In the mulching method, farmers transplant seedlings on beds and cover those with either leafy branches of different trees and plants to make the seedlings safe.

Farmers of the area said the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) is providing all cooperation in this regard.

Farmers cultivated tomatoes on 51 hectares of land in Ullapara upazila. Out of this, 15 hectares of land were cultivated using mulching method.

According to the Agricultural Officer, it is possible to preserve about 10 to 25 percent moisture in the land by using mulching method. Due to the presence of carbon in the mulching paper, it retains moisture and the quality of the fertilizer is correct, resulting in increased yield.