Savar farmers serving veggie lovers with Chinese varieties

The demand for vegetables in the country's urban areas is growing fast with the rise in the number of veggie lovers. Are these people aware where do all these items come from?

Savar, among other places, has traditionally been a good source of vegetables. But, these days it has been able to earn the name for providing good Chinese varieties of vegetables as well, thanks to the youths who have come up and joined farming with their innovative ideas.

Whether a café or a five-star restaurant, Chinese varieties of vegetables are the must components for almost every chef of the country in the food business now.

And with the growing demand from hotels and Chinese restaurants, the youths of Maitka, a village under Tetulia union of Savar, are producing Chinese varieties of vegetables commercially with a significant progress and enthusiasm.

With the fertile land and favourable weather, Savar, the north entrance point of the capital is experiencing a revolutionary change in vegetable cultivation sector with the production of the alien vegetables and these vegetables are being supplied not only in the city but all over the country.

Md Qayum Hossain, one of the successful entrepreneurs of the sector, said he, inspired by his father, he has been cultivating Chinese vegetables commercially at his own farm for 20 years.

The beginning was with the plantation of Baby Corn on a 10 percent land, which has now turned into about a 150-bigha one with various foreign vegetables such as spring onion, sweetcorn, capsicum, Thai leaves, Thai ginger, Thai palanpur spinach, zucchini, broccoli, cherry tomato, beet root, jalapeno, Chinese leaves, French beans, western mushroom and many more, he added.

According to Qayum, the yields of the vegetables, depending on the type, are available within two to three months from the plant and seed planting.

Finding foreign vegetable farming more profitable, like Qayum, many more youths have come forward joining the profession and changing their lives in addition to contributing to the national economy.

More importantly, to discourage the use of pesticides they prefer using organic fertilizers in their lands. With proper care, these vegetables can be grown all year round.

Local Agriculture Extension office is also encouraging the farmers to cultivate foreign vegetables more and trying to give immediate solution to the farmers when needed.

With the rising food business in the country, Chinese vegetables are gaining popularity among people and seeing an increase demand.

These alien vegetables are also expected to be exported very soon fulfilling the domestic demand.