Rangpur’s Selina earns Tk 30,000-40,000 a month from one-acre vegetable field, now an inspiration locally
Photo: Collected
By growing different varieties of vegetables on just one acre of land, Rangpur woman entrepreneur Selina Akter now earns Tk 30,000 to 40,000 a month. Her success, achieved by applying modern ideas to farming, has created a stir in the area; many are now following in her footsteps.
Selina Akter of Kandi Kabilapara village in Kandi union of Pirgachha upazila once struggled hard to bring financial stability to her family. Still, she did not give up. She chose agriculture as her tool to change her fortunes, and started commercial vegetable farming on one acre of land next to her home.
She grows a variety of vegetables in both the winter and summer seasons. Her field produces bottle gourd, sweet pumpkin, brinjal, bitter gourd, tomato, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber and various leafy greens. Because of their good quality, these vegetables are in high demand in the market. Wholesalers often buy directly from the field, reducing both transport costs and hassle.
A visit to the spot found Selina Akter’s land covered in lush green. Plants of beans and other vegetables have grown on rows of trellises, with vegetables hanging from them. The woman entrepreneur spends busy days tending the land and producing crops. As the land is right next to her home, she can look after it easily.
Selina Akter told BSS that there were many obstacles at the beginning, but she did not give up. She is now reaping the rewards of hard work and proper care. She sells vegetables worth Tk 60,000 to 70,000 every month; after expenses, she earns Tk 30,000 to 40,000. With this money, she comfortably runs her household and pays for the education of her only son, who is studying for an honours degree.
She added that the vegetables she produces first meet the demand of the local market, and the rest are sold at wholesale depots. This brings her a regular income. On average, four to six men and women labourers work in her vegetable farm every day, so her venture has also created employment for several people.
Selina said she grows chemical-free vegetables by reducing the use of chemical fertilisers and using organic fertiliser and vermicompost. According to her, this keeps costs low and the yield is also quite good.
Aminul Islam, a teacher at a local high school, said Selina Akter is a successful woman entrepreneur who has overcome poverty by growing vegetables on her own land. He believes small and medium agricultural entrepreneurs like her can go further if they receive timely farming advice, improved varieties of seed, and the necessary support in disease and pest control and marketing.
Sub-assistant agriculture officer Anwar Hossain told BSS that women’s participation in farming in rural areas is still limited in many cases. In this reality, Selina Akter’s progress through growing various vegetables on one acre of land can be an inspiration for other women too. Taking together her own income, employment for labourers and the supply of vegetables to the local market, her venture has become promising, he remarked.
Upazila agriculture officer Nilufa Yasmin told BSS that enterprising women farmers like Selina are always being given the necessary advice and support. In her view, this success has further strengthened women’s contribution to the rural economy and is an example to follow for unemployed youth and women.
District angle
The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has set a target of growing early winter vegetables on about 33,900 hectares of land in eight northern districts, including Rangpur, this season, with expected production of about 314,000 tonnes, The Financial Express reported on 5 September 2026, citing UNB.
According to the DAE, cultivable land in Rangpur fell from 201,491 hectares to 198,007 hectares in five years, The Daily Star Bangla reported on 14 March 2026.
Sources
Original report: BSS
Background sources: The Financial Express (UNB), 5 September 2026; The Daily Star Bangla, 14 March 2026
