Coloured cauliflower cultivation gains ground in Naogaon

The cultivation of coloured cauliflowers has been gaining popularity among farmers in Naogaon due to the ease and low cost of its cultivation.

After cultivating yellow and purple cauliflower successfully Jalal Hossain, a farmer of Kasba village under Hafania union of the district's Sadar upazila, has created enthusiasm among other farmers who are flocking to his land to learn about the cultivation process.

Jalal said he received training from the non-governmental organisation(NGO) "Moushumi" last year.

"Inspired by the cultivation of coloured cauliflower in a video footage during the training, I had bought 1,000 saplings with the assistance of the NGO and planted them on the land," he said.

"Many people were saying that this cauliflower would not grow well in this area. They said who will buy it if it tastes bad but I didn't lose hope," the farmer said.

He said he was adamant about selling the vegetable in the market. "I have received huge response from buyers and farmers after the success of coloured cauliflower cultivation, and I have been able to earn a profit. I have cultivated two types of cauliflower on 12 decimals of land."

"It cost me about Tk 8000 for cultivation and now selling each piece at Tk 40-50 with a turnover of Tk 20,000 so far," he said.

Jalal hoped that he would be able to earn Tk 25 000 more from the sale of the rest of the cauliflower.

Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) officials said colourful cauliflower is consumed as a salad in China, it also has more nutritional value and demand than the white one.

Farmers can make profit by cultivating it with less cost and labour. Organic fertilisers and pheromone traps are used instead of chemical fertilisers and pesticides for its cultivation, they said.

This variety of vegetable can be harvested within 70 to 80 days of planting and each weighs about two kilograms.

The UNB correspondent talked to some local people- Mokhlesur, Asaduzzaman, Selina and Morsheda- who went to the cropland of Jalal to see and buy colourful cauliflower.

Mahmudul Hasan Arif, agriculture officer of the NGO 'Moushumi', said under high yielding and high value new crops exhibition, 'yellow coloured 'valentena' variety and purple 'carotena' variety cauliflower were showcased.

Due to the success, the vegetable will be cultivated extensively in this region in the future, he hoped, he said adding farmer Jalal cultivated this cauliflower for the first time in the district.

District DAE's Agronomist Abul Kalam Azad told UNB that the first time cultivation by farmer Jalal will encourage other farmers in the district.

Such colourful cauliflower contains vitamin A and B and beta carotene, folic acid, magnesium, manganese and antioxidants which has many health benefits.

A white cauliflower head is sold at Tk 20 to 30 per piece whereas the yellow and purple ones are sold at Tk 40 to 50, he said, hoping that its cultivation will increase a lot in future.