Summertime tomato production brings bonanza for Dinajpur farmers

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Bipul Sarker Sunny, Dinajpur
Published : 03:30, Jun 26, 2019 | Updated : 03:30, Jun 26, 2019

After sustaining losses for a few consecutive years, tomato farmers of Dinajpur are seeing profit by summer time cultivation. Agriculture department says that due to increase in production by using modern technology, farmers have got better price.
However, there is a feeling that farmers will get more profit and the government more revenue if cold storage is made for tomatoes.
The biggest tomato bazaar is in Gebura, by the Gorbheshwari River.
Every day, 600-700 tonnes of tomatoes are sold and bought. Businessmen form different district come to buy and then take away tomatoes in trucks.
Later, the tomatoes are sent to Dhaka. The market runs from mid-April to mid-May. As per the information of farmers, the cost of cultivating tomatoes on one acre of land is between Tk 80,000 and Tk 100,000 with a production of 20 tonnes of tomato. Initially, farmers sell each mound at Tk 900 - Tk 1000. Later, the price is between Tk 400 and Tk 600 per mound.
Last year, per mound was Tk 350 to Tk 400 which came down to Tk 120, resulting in huge losses.
A farmer observes: “Due to losses incurred in the last few years, I cultivated over 15 percent land this year and got good price.”
This year, tomato production was not affected by any disease, added the farmer. He also highlighted the importance of constructing a cold storage. In Dinajpur, tomato was cultivated over 1142 hectares of land which may rise in the future.

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