Cultivating high quality tomatoes -using advanced techniques on the land near the Padma River- in the Rajbari district, has allowed local farmers to prosper. When local demand is fulfilled, Rajbari's tomatoes are supplied to Dhaka and other districts.
According to the Rajbari Agricultural Expansion office, this year, 834 hectares of farmlands in five counties have been used for tomato cultivation; 10 hectares more than last year.
Farmer Habibur Rahman: "This year, the cultivation of high quality and yielding breeds of tomatoes -like the Bipul plus, Bipul, Hightom, Sofol, Ananya and others- have yielded good returns. These tomatoes have a good market demand, with every kilogram sold at Tk20-25 (€0.20-0.25)," he said. "Every week, 20 to 25 40 kg-crates of tomatoes are sold at different markets across the country."
Deputy Director at Rajbari Agricultural Expansion headquarters dr Mosharraf Hossain:"We provided the farmers advice about eradicating pests with the use of pheromones, high quality tomato breeds, organic fertilizers and pesticides. This helped them achieve success and improve their livelihoods."
