Tale of a Frontiersman

By Moin Sarker

Mahfuja Ferdoues Munni Nafiz Imtiaj Fahim

Introduction

Ansar Ali, a unique farmer who lives in a remote village called Bozruk Shukra in Bogra's Shivganj upazila. He comes from a marginal farming family. Since his birth, his life has been rooted in agriculture. This unique farmer moved into farming foreign vegetables- that's an exceptional story to tell!

IDENTIFY ALI’S BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

• Vegetables hold a significant place amongst food items. • Almost everywhere around the world, vegetables are produced. • Few countries depend on imported vegetables. • Bangladesh, India and South Asian countries have developed the export market

all around the world. Due to climate change, the snow-covered regions of Europe have turned warmer and at those warm regions, vegetables are cultivated in an extended method.

• In Europe, USA, Middle-East and many other places, the expatriate Bangladeshis have converted fallow lands into fertile and cultivable. They're successfully producing diverse vegetables. You wouldn't believe it unless or until you see it with your own eyes. Successful Bangladeshi entrepreneurs like Noor Mohammad in Oman, Md. Farid in Qatar, Nazrul Islam in USA- their successful produce are spreading across the world.

• Ansar Ali bought a land of 94 decimals and thought of producing vegetables.

Faces Problems & Solving

• He started off with balsam apple. It didn't work. • Then he started cauliflower and the first year went

in vain. • His first harvest was not successful due to lack of

knowledge on cultivation methods.

Discussions

Later, he went to Mahasthangarh and learnt how to use the right technology to get the produce in plenty. Afterwards, he personally trained hundreds of farmers who later became hugely successful. His wife said, “You're telling everyone the secret but how will you succeed?

“Allah will certainly take care of us”, he replied. Ansar's wife and son-in-law, Tofizar Rahman cooperates Ansar

in all his agricultural creativities

Cultivate Capsicum & success• Agriculturist Md. Mahatab Uddin encouraged him at the

outset to cultivate capsicum in 1992.• He started producing capsicum and sold it at Bogra markets

as a hawker. Consumers were very surprised with the capsicum, this strange new vegetable in rural Bangladesh, which was very new to them. A wholesaler from Jaypurhat saw him selling capsicum and took those to Dhaka. From then on, Ansar Ali never had to look back.

Others Items which ali cultivate • Asparagus. Most of our

Bangladeshi famers don't know about it. But, Ansar Ali has been producing it for quite a long time and popularizing it.

• He's also producing baby corn, sweet corn, lettuce, broccoli, cherry tomato, beetroot, red lettuce and thai basil.

Others role• He's not only farming but has gained notable

commercial success.• He's not only concentrating on his own profit

but inspiring other farmers to cultivate new products.

• He is also helping them find a suitable market without the help of intermediaries.

Comparison

In Past• In the past, Ansar used to live a

very poor life like other farmers do in the village. It was barely a livable life. He still remembers the tough days of his life. When journalist asked him about his past life he became emotional about the early days and said, “I had a small clay hut. Raindrops used to fall inside our room from the rooftop. My wife said she'll help me build a more protected house. I told her to be patient as one day Allah will give us a better house.

Now• Later on, He built his own

house. And today, He has got 13 bighas of land.” It's amazing how self-belief keeps our farmers going and thus they have become so resilient.

Profit• Between February and March earning around Tk 70 thousand a year.

February to March is the peak time for asparagus.• He cultivates 600 decimals of land in the winter season and 231 decimals

in the summer for supplying foreign vegetables to some multi-star hotels in the capital. He said his annual profit has reached 2.7 lakh from selling vegetables like pepper, capsicum and asparagus etc.

• With the profit out of selling vegetables, he has purchased 429 decimals of land and is running his family as well as repaying his loan.

Target Market• He usually sells them in Dhaka ,

Chittagong and also local market.

• He also claimed, he supplies 20 varieties of foreign vegetables to 8 customers in the capital.

Opportunity• He has created job opportunities for local jobless men and women in his

vegetables fields.• He now wishes to export vegetables if he would get government

assistance in this regard.• The foreign vegetable cultivation can be profitable and may contribute a

lot to our economy if the authority pays heed to cultivators and their problems.

Threats• Lack of transportation facilities is one of the biggest problem to cultivate

foreign vegetable• Railway is the most effective transportation though there is no direct

railway communication from Bogra to Dhaka and Cittagong. For that reason vegetables cultivators have to spend huge money as truck fares.

Award

• For his relentless works , he has been awarded Best Agro Entrepreneur of the year at the Citi Micro Entrepreneurship Award 2010. On 17th of September, 2011, he received this prestigious accolade from Finance Minister A. M. A. Muhith and the Governor of Bangladesh Bank, Dr. Atiur Rahman.

• For his outstanding contribution in farming foreign and local vegetables, he received Tk 3.5 lakh as prize money from Bangladesh government in September this year.

Come In front to Media

• Shykh Seraj is an Agriculture Development and Media Activist. Focus on anser ali .

• The Finalcial Express & The Daily Star make news on him .

Conclusion

• We have tried to tell people that farmers have shown the way to development. Following the path of those who have successfully improved their lives, many others move towards development. When we concentrate on the issue of food security, innovative farmers like Ansar Ali catch our attention as a symbol of hope. These farmers tell us of rapid developments and also amazes us at what can be produced from the golden soil of Bangladesh.

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