Bangladeshi vegetable farmer trains Nepalese farmers

A Bangladeshi farmer has been successful in farming different kinds of hybrid vegetables in Nepal's remote village Ina-ruar of Shunshary district, which is about 1,000 km away from Kathmandu. Bangladeshi farmer Atil Chandra Roy has been growing tomato, radish, chilli on 8 beds on 100 decimals of land since December 2014. Nepalese farmers often visit his farming areas and also receive training on vegetable farming.

Atul Chandra Roy, 36, son of Pishu Chandra Roy of Durakuti village in Lalmonirhat sadar upazila has been hired by Lal Teer Seed Company of Bangladesh for growing hybrid vegetables in Nepal. Earlier the seed company tried farming hybrid vegetables with local people in Nepal for the last four years but the venture was not successful. Finally, after Atil's expertise, the company has been able to achieve the targeted results.

According to Atul, the soil of Nepal is suitable for farming hybrid vegetables but the farmers and even the agriculture officials in Nepal don't know about the necessary methods. “I am hopeful that I will be able to surpass all expectations from my farmlands,” he said. “I have been utilizing my field experience on hybrid vegetables farming, and I have been sharing my knowledge and experience among the Nepal farmers for bringing a change in the Nepal's villages.”

Atul Chandra Roy at his vegetable farming plot in the remote Ina-ruar village of Shundhary district.
Quoting a Nepal farmer Sufo Lal Meheta, 65, Atul said that farmers in Nepal know how to properly cultivate paddy, wheat and maize but they never get good result in vegetables farming. Krishna Kumar Meheta, another Nepalese farmer, has learnt a lot over the last year and decided to set up a vegetable farm. Quoting an Agriculture Officer Golap Chand Meheta in Nepal, Atul said that agriculture officials in Nepal also were not in touch with modern technology about hybrid vegetable farming, but now they have learnt.

Mahbub Hossain, Rangpur Area Manager of Lal Teer Seed Company said that he also working with experienced Bangladesh farmers for farming vegetables in Nepal villages. The seed company will create a hybrid vegetables seed selling market in Nepal, as vegetables farming is proving popular amongst Nepalese farmers. According to him, Bangladesh is comparatively more advanced than Nepal in the area of hybrid vegetables farming.

Atul's father Pishu Chandra Roy said that his son has been farming hybrid vegetables for the last 12 years and he has changed the family's livelihood through vegetable farming on 6 bighas lands only. “Our son produce better vegetables and vegetable seeds in the village, and he also provides suggestion to the villagers on how they can farm vegetables better,” he said. Atul's neighbor Lakhmi Kanta Roy, 52, said that the local community is proud of Atul, and hopes he will continue to bring more prosperity to both Bangladeshi and Nepalese farmers.