Dinajpur farmers achieve success in cultivating colourful cauliflower, cabbage

Many farmers in the district have achieved success in cultivating winter vegetables such as cauliflower and cabbage.

These colourful cauliflower and cabbage are adorning the crop fields of various villages in Sadar, Birganj and Birol upazilas of the district.
 
Farmer Abdul Barek of the Tonggua area of Khansama upazila of the district has benefited from cultivating colourful cauliflower and cabbage from his land for the first time.
 
Pink and light red spring cabbage is adorning the land of farmer Abdul Barek which not only increased the visual beauty but also brought a huge response in the markets.
 
The agriculture department and various private organizations are cultivating colourful cauliflower and cabbage in vast fields in several upazilas of the district.

Biofertilizers, pesticides, pheromone traps and yellow taps are being used to control insects in the vegetable field. The yield has been quite good due to the care and techniques of the farmers, said the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) office.

Farmers are getting good prices due to the huge demand for vegetables in the market.

Recently, Rafiqul Islam, Assistant Director of Research on Robi Crops of the Dinajpur Regional Agriculture Department, said that farmers can make up for the losses incurred by cultivating other vegetables in the current season.

Wholesalers are bringing cauliflower from the crop fields and colorful cauliflower is being sold at Taka 30 to 40 per piece in the local market. Farmers are happy with the success of colourful cauliflower and cabbage cultivation.

Colourful cauliflower farmers of Nijpara, Bhognagar and Sator unions under Birganj upazila said that although white cabbage is sold at Taka 5 to 6 per piece and colourful cabbage is still being sold at Taka 30 to 40 per piece in the market.

Upazila Agriculture Office has supported the farmers by providing organic fertilizers, pesticides and advice required for cauliflower and cabbage cultivation.

Khansama Upazila Agriculture Officer Yasmin Akhter said that farmers have got the expected yield and market price from cultivating these colourful cauliflowers and cabbages.

The nutritional value of colourful cauliflowers is much higher than white cauliflowers and it contains high levels of antioxidants, which are very beneficial for health.

Due to its high demand in the market, many farmers show their interest in cultivating colourful cauliflower in the next year, she said.
 
Rashedul Islam, a farmer from Mohabbatpur village under Auliapur union in Sadar upazila, said that he cultivated colourful cauliflower on one and a half bighas of land after getting free seeds from the Women's Multipurpose Education Center-MBSK. I have cultivated this cauliflower using only organic pesticides and pheromone traps. Due to the huge demand in the market, wholesalers are buying cauliflowers from my vegetable fields.

Deputy Director of DAE Md. Nuruzzaman said that colourful cauliflowers and cabbages have been cultivated in the district for the last two years under the Sustainable Agricultural Development Project.
 
Many farmers have found success in cultivating the vegetables. Due to good demand in the market, the cultivation of this colourful variety of cauliflower will increase commercially in the future, he said.
 
Other farmers are also showing interest in cultivating this variety of colourful cauliflower.

Colourful cauliflower is a vegetable with medicinal properties. It also tastes good. Compared to ordinary cauliflower, colourful cauliflower contains more than 25 per cent carotene and various types of vitamins including vitamins A, C and K. In addition, it also contains a lot of beta-carotene which acts as an antioxidant.

Abu Reza Md Asaduzzaman, Director of the Sustainable Agriculture Development Project of Dinajpur Region, said with the help of the Sustainable Agriculture Development Project, various high-value vegetables such as squash, capsicum, colourful cauliflower, colourful cabbage, broccoli have been provided to the demonstration farmers.
 
This project has been taken up to provide safe, high-quality vegetables to consumers.

In this regard, the Department of Agriculture and some development organizations are working at the field level to provide cooperation and advice to the farmers, he said.

This cabbage is not only attractive to look at but also rich in nutrients. Due to the presence of xanthophyll, carotenoids, and vitamin A. It increases immunity, improves eyesight and reduces the risk of cancer.
 
According to DAE this time cabbage has been cultivated on 2,122 hectares of land in the district and cauliflower has been cultivated on 2,450 hectares of land.