Tomato cultivation increased in the district in recent years. According to sources in Dinajpur Agriculture Extension Department (AED), about 7,500 hectares of land were brought under tomato cultivation in six upazilas of the district in the current season. The production exceeded the target of 8 lakh tonnes, they said.

In fields, at least 20 per cent of tomato is yet to be plucked, AE officials and farmers told this correspondent. Plucking will continue till the second week of May, they said.

Over the years, tomato cultivation increased manifold in Dinajpur Sadar, Biral, Birganj, Kaharol, Nawabganj and Birampur upazilas as many farmers took it as a cash crop and shifted away from growing paddy, sugarcane and jute after failing to get fair prices, they said.

Temporary tomato markets have sprang up at Gabura and some other villages in Dinajpur Sadar upazila, which attract buyers from different areas of the country.

Farmer Bhuttu at the market said he cultivated tomato on all his five bigha lands this year. "The yield is very good but I had to sell it at Tk 200 per maund because there is no facility to store it", he said.