Farmers busy cultivating carrots 

In the current rabi season, the farmers are spending a busy time cultivating the golden carrots in different upazilas of Manikganj, which is near the capital.

Fifty thousand farmers of the district are busy cultivating and tending their golden crop of carrots, hoping for a bumper crop. After the carrot farmers make their own profit, they are also contributing crores of taka to the country's economy.

Farmers have become interested in this cultivation because of more yields in a short time resulting in more profit. Farmers usually cultivate carrots in the month of Karthik. They sell carrots after 3 months of service. Now the sale of carrots has started. As the communication system is good, the wholesalers are buying and taking it from the land and the farmers themselves are taking it from the land and selling it in Karwan Bazar, Shyambazar and Mirpur market of Dhaka to meet the demand of the local market.

According to Manikganj District Agriculture Extension Directorate, more than 1500 hectares of carrot are cultivated in the current season. In the previous years, carrot cultivation was 1100 hectares. A large amount of carrot is cultivated in Singair upazila.

Deputy Assistant Agriculture Officer Dulal Chandra Das said that carrots become matured to sell in 90 to 100 days. The production cost is around Tk 20 to 25 thousand per bigha and the profit is more after selling the carrot in the market. At least 130 to 140 maunds of carrot are produced per bigha of land, and currently, farmers are selling carrots at the rate of Tk 20 to 25 per kg.

Wholesalers rather than farmers enjoy the majority of the profit as they buy carrots from the land. They buy locally at the rate of 8 to 10 taka and take it to Dhaka and sell it at the rate of 20 to 25 taka.

Carrot seed growers buy from Dhaka at the rate of 7 thousand taka. Farmers cultivate Orange King, New Karda, Hybrid Sapal Seed, T Summer varieties of carrot seeds. All these seeds are imported from China and Japan.

Ayanal Haque, a carrot grower of Nayadangi Mohalla of the municipality, said that compared to previous years the yield has been really good this year.

Farmer Abul Hossain of Jaimontap village said that the upper part of the carrot tree can be fed to cows and cows. Carrot plant is very useful for fattening cows. Moreover, carrots are very popular as the  vegetable contain vitamin B.

It can be seen that carrot has been cultivated in Jaimontap, Jamirtta, Dhalla, Talebpur, Singair Sadar and Azimpur, Nayadangi areas of the upazila. Now the farmers are busy cultivating carrots and selling them in good profit.

Farmers said, "The biggest advantage of carrot fields is that besides sugarcane and sweet pumpkin, other vegetables can be cultivated as companion crops to earn additional profit."

Amjad Hossain, Golam Nabi, Atwar Rahman, carrot farmers of Jaimontap village made the same comment and said that bumper crop of carrots has been produced this year and we are expecting a huge profit. The successful farmers of Singair upazila meet the demand of the vegetables of Kaoran Bazaar, the largest raw market of the capital, including carrots of the region. Being able to sell directly in the capital, farmers are encouraged to grow vegetables including carrots.

Deputy Director of Manikganj District Agricultural Extension Department Abu Md Enayet Ullah said that carrot is a potential crop in the agricultural sector as a cash crop. Farmers will benefit if proper market breeding or conservation measures are in place. Carrot yield is likely to be good this year due to special attention.

In the beginning, due to heavy rainfall, there was little damage, but later it was recovered by the farmers. Carrot farmers are working hard in the carrot field to compensate for the damage due to natural calamities.