Photo : BSS

By Md Mamun Islam
 
RANGPUR, July 23, 2026 (BSS) - Many farmers in all districts of Rangpur agricultural region have changed their fortunes by cultivating vegetables all year round in recent years. 
 
They are also keeping the rural economy vibrant and dynamic through the most profitable agricultural ventures, such as vegetable cultivation, during the three cropping seasons of Rabi, Kharif-1, and Kharif-2.
 
At the same time, vegetable cultivation is generating huge employment for male and female agricultural workers throughout the year in the Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari districts of this region. 

The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) officials said vegetable farming has become a profitable venture, which is motivating farmers to cultivate vegetables on more land, both in the mainland and riverine pastures, by adopting new cropping patterns and latest technologies.
 
Additional Director of the DAE's Rangpur region Agriculturist Md Shirajul Islam said many farmers have changed their fortunes through farming vegetables round the year across the region.

Government support and easy-to-pay agricultural loans, free incentives such as improved seeds and fertilizers, and technology brought enthusiasm in farmers to expand vegetable cultivation in the Rabi, Kharif-1, and Kharif-2 seasons and increased production every year.
 
"After getting repeated bumper production and lucrative prices every season all year round, farmers are bringing more lands under vegetable farming in the mainland, char areas and homesteads across the region," Agriculturist Islam said. 
 
During the last Rabi season, farmers produced 11,77,800 tonnes of winter vegetables from 44,289 hectares of land at an average yield rate of 26.59 tonnes per hectare in the region.
 
Farmers have cultivated summer vegetables in the 2026 Kharif-1 season on 31,130 hectares of land exceeding the set target of 30,085 hectares to produce 5,65,791 tonnes of vegetables by 1,045 hectares of land or 3.47 percent.
 
Till Wednesday, farmers have harvested Kharif-1 summer vegetables on 18,010 hectares of land and produced 3,32,460 tonnes of vegetables at an excellent average yield rate of 18.47 tonnes per hectare, as harvesting is now in full swing. 
 
Agriculturist Islam said, "Farmers have so far cultivated vegetables on 9,735 hectares of land, against the set target of cultivating vegetables on 16,705 hectares of land to produce 3,02,857 tons of vegetables in the current Kharif-2 season in this region."  
 
Earlier in 2025, farmers produced 4,89,044 tonnes of vegetables from 27,150 hectares of land during the Kharif-1 season and 2,52,286 tonnes of vegetables from 14,925 hectares of land during the Kharif-2 season in the region.
  
Hafizur Rahman, a vegetable retailer at Rangpur City Market, told BSS that consumers are getting various types of vegetables in local markets throughout the year as farmers cultivate vegetables in all seasons in the hope of higher profits.
 
Talking to BSS, farmers Solaiman Ali, Jahurul Alam and Afzal Hossain from different villages of Mithapukur upazila of Rangpur said that in recent times they have achieved self-sufficiency by cultivating vegetables on their land throughout the year. 
 
Farmers Mofizar Rahman from Dolapara village of Taraganj upazila and Nur Mohammad from Balapara village of Kawnia upazila of Rangpur said that they have cultivated summer vegetables on more land this time after earning good profits last year.
 
"Like last Rabi season, we are harvesting summer vegetables with excellent yields in the 2026 Kharif-1 season and earning lucrative profits," said Mofizar Rahman. 
 
Former president of Rangpur Chamber Mostafa Sohrab Chowdhury Titu said that a large amount of vegetables are being exported from Rangpur region to Dhaka and other places and employment is being created for daily wage laborers and agricultural workers in all seasons.
 
"If more steps are taken to establish agro-based industries to process the produced vegetables and increase the export of agricultural products abroad, it can strengthen the rural economy of Rangpur region and benefit farmers even more," Titu added.