RAJSHAHI, Dec 15, 2018 (BSS) – Cultivation of broccoli, a non-conventional
winter vegetable, has gradually been gaining popularity in the region by dint
of its lucrative market price and gradually growing demand.
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.
Jamilur Rahman, a farmer of Gogram village under Godagari Upazila, said
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.
Dr Shakhawat Hossain, Senior Scientific Officer of Bangladesh Agriculture
Research Institute, said broccoli is a winter vegetable with high nutritional
content. It is full of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants.
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 cultivation of broccoli.
Taking advantages of the situation, farmers are seen showing their interest
in cultivating Broccoli for the last couple of years due to better output and
market price.
He said there is a bright prospect of broccoli farming commercially in the
country’s northwest region.
Dr Hossain said the prolonged cold weather being experienced in the region
for the last couple of years which is suitable for cultivation of Broccoli
that is locally known as green cauliflower.
Almost similar to the cauliflower and its green leaves enriched with
protein and vitamin C can be consumed directly. The price of broccoli in the
markets is three to four times more than cauliflower.
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.
SM Mostafizur Rahman, Additional Director of Department of Agriculture
Extension (DAE), told BSS that the crop was unfamiliar to the farmers and
consumers of the rural areas.
He said various agricultural extension and research organizations have
taken initiatives to make farming of the crop popular among the growers
level. DAE has also grown the crop in projection plots aimed at encouraging
the farmers to boost its production commercially.
He added 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 was more than any other winter vegetable
including cabbage and cauliflower.
ATM Rafiqul Islam, Project Director (Agriculture) of Barind Multipurpose
Development Authority, said importance should be given to encourage the
farmers through providing them with necessary financial support and inputs.
The farming method was almost similar to the cabbage and cauliflower. At
least 40,000 to 50,000 plants could be produced from per hectare in 65-70
days, he said.
Agriculturist Ittefaqul Azad, former Deputy Director of DAE, says
cauliflower is a winter vegetable which has become popular and is cultivated
in such a quantity that in peak season the price comes down to a level that
frustrates the growers.
In a situation like this, DAE should furthermore transfer technology for
broccoli cultivation to farmers and encourage them to allocate half the land
used for cauliflower cultivation to grow broccoli.
In this way, people of the region will be able to enjoy the taste and
nutritional value of both cauliflower and broccoli and the farmers will also
get a reasonable price for both.
He added that the BADC and DAE should undertake projects for massive
cultivation of broccoli throughout the country’s northwest region in every
winter season.