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By Md Mamun Islam

 
RANGPUR, Dec 2, 2025 (BSS) - In recent years, vegetable farming has become a profitable venture to boost the rural economy in the Rangpur agricultural region, as well as for the improvement of the livelihood and fortune of farmers. 

 
Many farmers are successfully cultivating vegetables in their farmlands, pastures and homesteads and are earning good profits throughout the year along with meeting their nutrition to lead a better life.
 

Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said that vegetables are cultivated throughout the year in the Rabi, Kharif-1 and Kharif-2 seasons, which makes many farmers in the five districts of the region self-sufficient. 

 
Krishibid Md Sirajul Islam, Additional Director (Incharge) of the DAE’s Rangpur region, agronomist, told BSS that vegetable cultivation has become a profitable venture by adopting new cropping patterns and latest technologies in changing climatic conditions. 
 

“Along with government support and easy-to-use agricultural loans, some NGOs are providing quality seeds, inputs and latest technologies to farmers in the region to increase vegetable production throughout the year,” he said.

 
After repeatedly getting bumper yields and excellent market prices every year in recent times, farmers are cultivating vegetables on more land in both the mainland and riverine char regions.
 

During the last 2024-2025 Rabi season, farmers produced 10,39,699 tonnes of winter vegetables from 39,742 hectares of land at an excellent average yield rate of 26.16 tonnes per hectare of land in the region. 

 
Similarly, farmers produced 52,44,85 tonnes of vegetables from 28,344 hectares of land at an excellent average yield rate of 18.50 tonnes per hectare of land during the 2025 Kharif-1 season in the region.
 

Besides, farmers produced 2,99,097 tonnes of vegetables from 16,505 hectares of land at an excellent average yield rate of 18.12 tonnes per hectare of land during the just-ended 2025 Kharif-2 season in the region.

 
“During the current 2025-2026 Rabi season, the government through the DAE has fixed a target of producing 11,19,893 tonnes of winter vegetables from 42,130 hectares of land for the Rangpur agricultural region,” Krishibid Shirajul Islam said.  

  
In the Rangpur agricultural region, farmers have cultivated winter vegetables on about 40,000 hectares of land in the current Rabi season so far, where the collection of the early varieties of winter vegetables has started on a limited scale.

 
“If the climatic conditions remain favourable, a bumper production of winter vegetables is likely during the current Rabi season in all five districts of Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari of the region,” Islam added.

 
Market sources said prices of vegetables have started falling with the appearance of early varieties of winter vegetables in local markets. 

 
Talking to BSS, farmers Lutfar Rahman, Abir Hossain, Kamal Hossain, Solaiman Ali of different villages in Mithapukur upazila of Rangpur said they achieved self-reliance by cultivating vegetables on their farm-lands in recent years. 

 
“Farmers are expanding cultivation of vegetables on farmlands and homesteads to reap more profits and meet nourishment,” said farmer Isahaque Ali of village Kathihara in Rangpur Sadar upazila.

  
Vegetable retailer Fazlur Rahman at Keranipara Kitchen Market in Rangpur city said that farmers are selling early varieties of winter vegetables at rates between Taka 20 and Taka 70 per kg on an average depending on varieties and quality to the middlemen and wholesalers.

 
“Retail prices are, however, higher by Taka 10 to Taka 15 per kg on an average in local markets as some vegetables,” Fazlur Rahman added.