Developed bitter gourd production brings happiness to Kyaukse

The farmers from Kyaukse township, Mandalay region are mainly engaging with the paddy. They are also growing other crops such as pumpkin, cucumbers, onion, bitter gourd, coriander and mustard on the riverside and sandy loam soil.
Now, farmers from Shwedah village are growing bitter gourd on a manageable scale and earning family income.
“If we grow a pack of bitter gourd seeds, we can yield about 15 visses at the early harvested season. Later, we can harvest about 70 or 80 visses in the abundantly yielded season. The bitter gourds continue to give yield for five or six months depending on the plant.
After sowing for one month, the bitter gourd started to sprout and blossom. After 45 days, it started to yield to be sold. It can be yielded every 4 or 5 days. The retail price of bitter gourd is K1,000 per viss while the wholesale price fetched K800 per viss,” said U Myat Thein, a bitter gourd grower from Shwedah village.
When we grow bitter gourd, we have to prepare the soil first. Then, we have to use natural fertilizer cow dung. The farmers are happy with getting a handsome price over the bitter gourd. It is a crop that farmers are urged to cultivate because it is less cultivation cost and high profit. — Thet Maung (Kyaukse)/GNLM