Broccoli brings diversification to Rajshahi’s kitchen markets

Farming of broccoli, a non-conventional winter
vegetable, has brought diversification to both the wholesale and retail
kitchen markets in the region for the last couple of years.

Simultaneously, it has gained popularity as many of the grassroots farmers
are getting more income from the vegetable cultivation compared to other
conventional ones in the region, including its vast barind tract.

Acreage of the vegetable is rising gradually by dint of its lucrative market
price and gradually mounting demands of the consumers in general.

Like the previous couple of years, the newly harvested vegetable along with
other ones has appeared in the local markets abundantly at present making
both the sellers and buyers happy.

As a whole, the vegetable has brought a diversification in the kitchen
markets besides a new dimension in the local economy, experts’ sources said.

Muktar Ali, 48, a farmer of Hatibandha area in Godagari upazila, has
cultivated broccoli on around one bigha of land and he’s harvesting his cash
crop for the last couple of days with satisfactory yield and market price.

“I have been selling broccoli at Taka 30 to 40 per piece since the beginning
of harvest,” said Ali, adding broccoli is more profitable than some other
contemporary vegetables like cauliflower and cabbage.

He has also gained success from his previous year’s farming on 10 kathas of
land.

“I had around 450 plants on one bigha of land this year,” said Hasim Uddin,
37, another farmer of Imamganj village under the upazila, adding that he is
making profits from vegetable farming.

Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officer Atanu Sarker told BSS that many of the
farmers are seen showing their interests towards broccoli farming as its
demand is gradually increasing.

Many farmers are cultivating the seasonal cash crop in the area as they are
getting a better market price of their yield compared to many other crops.

“I’m heavily satisfied with getting the seasonal vegetables regularly since
the winter season began,” said Monimul Haque, a small businessman of Haragram
area in Rajshahi city. Currently, he buys broccoli at Taka 35 per piece.

Muhammad Noyan, a vender of Nandangachhi village under Charghat upazila of
the district, has been selling the vegetable more or less every day for the
last around two months. Demand for the vegetable ‘broccoli’ has increased to
a greater extent, he added.

Additional Director of Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) Shamsul
Wadud said initiative has been taken to expand the farming of the cash crop
among the farmers in general.

He said broccoli is a winter vegetable with high nutritional content. It is
full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

It looks like cauliflower but its colour is green and not milky white like
cauliflower. Soil condition and winter weather in the region are favourable
for broccoli cultivation.

Side by side with other conventional winter vegetables, the cash crop is seen
appearing in the local markets everyday bringing diversity in the vegetable
markets both wholesale and retail ones. The non-conventional winter vegetable
has started turning into a conventional one.

He said there is a bright prospect of broccoli farming commercially in the
country’s northwest region. Taking advantage of the situation, farmers are
seen showing their interest in cultivating broccoli as a result of better
output and market price.

Agriculturist Wadud added that the vegetable could easily be cultivated in
the normal farming field as it is more tolerable to high-temperature than
cauliflower and cabbage. Nutritive value of the crop is more than any other
winter vegetables including cabbage and cauliflower.

Dr Alim Uddin, former chief scientific officer of Bangladesh Agriculture
Research Institute, said broccoli is gradually becoming popular among the
urban people and the Chinese restaurants together with the grand hotels. They
are using broccoli for making soup and other delicious foods.

The farming method was almost similar to the cabbage and cauliflower. At
least 40,000 to 50,000 plants could be produced per hectare in 65-70 days, he. (BSS)