Highlights:
Sameshpur in Burichang upazila of Cumilla, home to Queen Maynamati's bungalow, has been producing vegetable saplings for 60 years. Rows of seedlings line the village, which now supplies all 64 districts and draws traders from across the country.
Sameshpur is the main hub, supported by Kalakchua, Nimsar, and Dhaklapara along the Dhaka–Chattogram highway.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, the Bhadra–Poush season yields at least Tk90 crore worth of saplings across these villages, with Sameshpur contributing the most. Proximity to major highways ensures quick distribution nationwide.
Burichang Upazila Agriculture Officer Afrina Akhtar said the four villages produce the highest volume of vegetable saplings in the upazila, while Sameshpur remains the main attraction and leads production nationwide.
"Around 300 entrepreneurs are involved in sapling production in these villages, creating employment for about 3,000 people through production and marketing activities," she said.
Motahar Hossain, a resident of Sameshpur, said sapling production began when villager Md Yusuf started bringing seeds from outside five to six years before independence, inspiring others.
"The elevated lands do not waterlog during the Poush season, making them ideal for sapling production. The village has around 4,000 residents, including 140 entrepreneurs, and most families are involved. I have been producing saplings for four decades," he said.
Entrepreneur Narayan Debnath said his family has long depended on sapling production and that he has been in the profession for three decades. Each entrepreneur employs five to ten workers, he added.
A recent visit to Sameshpur, Kalakchua, and Dhaklapara found seedbeds of cauliflower, cabbage, tomatoes, chili, broccoli, and aubergines under makeshift sheds, with farmers busy lifting, tending, and selling seedlings.
Abul Kashem of Dhaklapara said he returned from abroad after 15 years and now produces saplings on 60 decimals of land for six months a year. Production costs are about Tk20 lakh, and each bed can be sown four times, generating roughly Tk30 lakh in sales.
Abdus Salam of Nimsar said they lack opportunities to export saplings and that a larger market could develop with agricultural department support.
Cumilla DAE Deputy Director Mizanur Rahman said a database of entrepreneurs is being prepared. "The department provides advice, guidance, and technical support, and it will help ensure better-quality seeds for producers," he said.
On exports, he said vegetable seedlings are delicate and need careful processing and rapid delivery, which is difficult.