The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Rangpur

Prices of vegetables is falling gradually in the markets of northern region weeks due to arrival of huge quantities of early varieties of winter vegetables in the recent weeks, competent sources said. Farmers and officials of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) are expecting a bumper production of winter vegetables in the region. Per kg average prices of all varieties of vegetables are now varying in between Taka 6 and Taka 15 against the average prices of Taka 20 and Taka 40 a month ago, officials and market sources said.

The local markets are now flooded with different early varieties of 'sak', brinjal, 'shosha', potatoes, cauli flower, corolla, cabbage, radish, 'gajor', tomato, arum roots, 'borboti', bean and other vegetables.

Tomato is now selling at Taka 15 per kg against Taka 80 per kg a month ago.

Officials said the DAE, BARI, BADC and many NGOs had supplied adequate quality seeds, other agro-inputs and provided necessary technical assistance to the farmers.

The DAE has fixed a target producing 15 tonnes of all varieties on per hectare of land, the sources said.

It has fixed a production target of 18,52,500 tonnes different varieties of vegetables on 1,23,500 hectares of land in all 16 districts under two agriculture zones in the northern region during this season.

However, the farmers are expected to bring more land than the fixed target under vegetables farming in the region including the vast tract of char areas in the river basins to achieve a bumper production, the sources added.