Bitter gourd sale of Tk 3cr likely at Sreemangal

SREEMANGAL, MOULVIBAZAR, Apr 27: Bitter gourd sale of about Tk 2.5 crore is likely in Parer Tong Village in Sreemangal Upazila of the district.

This village is known as Korolla Gram (Bitter Gourd Village) for widely cultivation of bitter gourd.

A recent visit to Parer Tong Village at Ashidron Union found huge scaffoldings of bitter gourd; growers were seen lifting bitter gourds.
After meeting local demand, bitter gourds are sent to other parts of the country through wholesalers.

Grower Muhibur Rahman said, "I have been benefitted by farming Tia Super species seasonally. Because of bitter gourd farming, the village has been named Karalla (bitter gourd) Gram (Village). We all have been benefitted.

 Employments have been created for unemployed people. So far, I have sold about 4,000-5,000 kilograms of bitter gourds.  We hope to make a more sale of Tk 8-10 lakh."

"I cultivated bitter gourd on five bighas of land at Tk 2 lakh," he added.

A wholesaler from Bahubol area in Habiganj, Md Masuk said, "We purchase bitter gourds yearly from here, and sell these to Dhaka, Cumilla and other areas. Compared to last year, this years yielding has been better. The market price is good."

Grower Nurul Islam said, "I have been cultivating bitter gourd for about last 10 years.

Tapos Chakraborti, divisional manager of Lal Teer Seed Limited, said, Parer Tong Village is mainly agriculture-prone; farmers of the village have been cultivating bitter gourds of hybrid Tia and Tia Super for the last 10-12 years; this years rainfall was a bit little; despite that, compared to other years, the yielding has been very good.

Tia is an advance species, and growers are benefitting by cultivating it, he added.  

He further said, "We hope this Korolla Village will once be role model of Bangladesh. And bitter gourd farming will spread to other villages."

Mainly, two species of bitter gourd, Tia and Tia Super, are cultivated in the village.  

After cultivation, bitter gourds can be collected within 40-45 days. Wholesalers come from far areas and purchase bitter gourds. Also warehouse owners come to purchase bitter gourds and take these to Dhaka and Chattogram.    

Sreemangal Upazila Agriculture Officer Md Mahiuddin said, this year about 300 bighas of land have been brought under  bitter gourd cultivation; bitter gourd farming is increasing day by day; the season will continue for  one more month or two months; if there is no norwester, the bitter gourd sale will stand at Tk 2crore or 2.5 crore.