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Sohel Molla tending vegetable seedlings in his nursery in Boalmari, Faridpur

Field Report — RMTP: Eco-Friendly and Safe Vegetable Production and Marketing

A new star in the rural economy, grown from cocopeat

How a young farmer from Faridpur traded a dream of moving abroad for a nursery that now feeds seedlings to the whole country.

Boalmari, Faridpur

Sohel Molla once dreamed of moving abroad. Today, with the support of SDC, he has become a successful agricultural entrepreneur — producing soil seedlings using cocopeat, a soilless cultivation method that is quietly changing what's possible in his village.

100,000+ safe vegetable seedlings produced every year
1,200 seedling trays, up from 100 in the first season
৳35–40k average monthly income from the nursery today
7 decimals of land the nursery now spans, up from three
Sohel caring for seedlings grown in cocopeat trays
Sohel caring for seedlings in cocopeat
Sohel working in the field alongside his child
Sohel working in the field alongside his child

The main story

Sohel Molla, a 35-year-old farmer from Boalmari, Faridpur, is now a leading agricultural entrepreneur whose nursery is transforming the local rural economy. Supporting a five-member family, Sohel's passion for farming began in childhood while helping his father, sparking a lifelong dream to modernize agriculture. But financial uncertainty eventually pushed him to prepare for migration abroad instead.

His turning point came after joining SDC's "RMTP: Eco-Friendly and Safe Vegetable Production and Marketing" sub-project. Enlisted as a safe vegetable farmer in 2022, Sohel received advanced horticulture training, mastering the technique of producing safe vegetable seedlings using soilless cocopeat.

That training opened a whole new horizon. Right in the very first season, local farmers achieved excellent results using his seedlings, and news of Sohel's success spread rapidly through the district.

How it grew

2022
Sohel is enlisted as a safe vegetable farmer under SDC's RMTP sub-project and trained in soilless cocopeat seedling production.
2023
With a ৳40,000 grant from the project, he starts his nursery on three decimals of land, using 100 seedling trays filled with cocopeat, Trichoderma, and vermicompost.
Today
The nursery spans seven decimals and 1,200 trays, producing 90,000–100,000+ seedlings a season — cauliflower, cabbage, chili, tomato, eggplant, papaya, gourd, sweet pumpkin, and red cabbage — sold online and offline across the country. Sohel also grows safe vegetables on three acres, earning ৳4–4.5 lakh a year.
Sohel holding a cluster of papaya from his field Sohel holding a cauliflower grown from his seedlings Sohel among ripening tomatoes in his field

A smiling Sohel in his field during the cultivation of various seasonal vegetables.

He believes that with rural soil, hard work, and the right guidance, agriculture can become a sustainable livelihood. Today, Sohel wants to support not just himself, but other farmers in his village too. Looking ahead, he plans to expand the nursery further, create new employment for others, and build a modern greenhouse alongside it to produce high-quality seedlings all year round.

“ I used to think that it wasn't possible to achieve anything without moving abroad. But SDC showed me that an immense pool of potential lies right in my own village. Now, I am standing on my own two feet, and my family is doing well. Sohel Molla
“ I want people to stay healthy by eating safe vegetables, and I want the village folk to fall in love with farming. Sohel Molla