BSS, Rajshahi :
In the wake of gradually increasing demand and lucrative market price, cultivation of arum has brought smiles on the faces of farmers in Rajshahi region including its vast Barind tract as they are getting good profit by cultivating it on their lands.
Locally known as ‘Latiraj’, arum is a favourite vegetable of many people. Arum cultivation has brought fortune for many farmers in the region with its bumper production and high profit this season.
The good arum harvest has been attributed to suitable soil, favourable weather and necessary help from the local agriculture offices. A section of farmers in the region have started growing arum commercially as it has become a profitable crop and cultivation costs are low.
The farmers are now cultivating arum on commercial basis. Different varieties of arum are cultivated in the region. Almost all the varieties are grown in the water-logged areas.
Dev Dulal Dhali, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension, said “Arum is an environment-friendly, poison-free and nourishing crop. The agriculture department has been advising farmers on cultivating arum of the high yield variety.”
Different varieties of arum are cultivated in the region including white and red colour. Almost all the varieties are grown in the water-logged areas. The cultivation of Latiraj variety is gaining popularity among the farmers as it is about five times more profitable than paddy farming.
As it requires little nursing, the risk of arum cultivation is also little. Even fertilisers are not necessary for its growth. So, farmers are cultivating arum on a large scale because of high financial return from the crop, he says.
“Latiraj variety of arum is plated early January. The harvest starts in mid-April and the yield continues for eight months till mid-December. A farmer gets 3 to 5 maunds of yield from each decimal of land,” said Jahid Hossain, arum grower at Duary village of Paba upazila.
“Over 500 hectares of land for Mukhi Kachu and over 150 hectares for Pani Kachu have been used for cultivation of arum in the district this year. We advise farmers to cultivate Pani Kachu in marshlands where other crops do not grow well. Arum cultivation is increasing here every year, and farmers are becoming self-reliant,” said Ali.
Disappointed over low price of paddy, jute and other crops many farmers of the region became interested in the cultivation of arum and some other vegetables in recent years and its cultivation proved lucrative.
Sazdar Rahman, 47, an arum farmer of Rajabari village of Durgapur, said “I have cultivated arum of the mukhi variety on five bighas of raised land and am expecting bumper production. I planted the arum seed in the third week of January and harvest began in the third week of July.”
“The variety grows well on land with good drainage. I am a vegetable farmer, but I have been cultivating arum for some years and getting better profits at lower costs,” said Rahman.
He said farmers use only some organic fertiliser during arum cultivation and they do not need to use insecticides. Farmers face few problems in growing this vegetable. Cattle do not eat arum plants and labour is not required to look after it.
In the wake of gradually increasing demand and lucrative market price, cultivation of arum has brought smiles on the faces of farmers in Rajshahi region including its vast Barind tract as they are getting good profit by cultivating it on their lands.
Locally known as ‘Latiraj’, arum is a favourite vegetable of many people. Arum cultivation has brought fortune for many farmers in the region with its bumper production and high profit this season.
The good arum harvest has been attributed to suitable soil, favourable weather and necessary help from the local agriculture offices. A section of farmers in the region have started growing arum commercially as it has become a profitable crop and cultivation costs are low.
The farmers are now cultivating arum on commercial basis. Different varieties of arum are cultivated in the region. Almost all the varieties are grown in the water-logged areas.
Dev Dulal Dhali, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension, said “Arum is an environment-friendly, poison-free and nourishing crop. The agriculture department has been advising farmers on cultivating arum of the high yield variety.”
Different varieties of arum are cultivated in the region including white and red colour. Almost all the varieties are grown in the water-logged areas. The cultivation of Latiraj variety is gaining popularity among the farmers as it is about five times more profitable than paddy farming.
As it requires little nursing, the risk of arum cultivation is also little. Even fertilisers are not necessary for its growth. So, farmers are cultivating arum on a large scale because of high financial return from the crop, he says.
“Latiraj variety of arum is plated early January. The harvest starts in mid-April and the yield continues for eight months till mid-December. A farmer gets 3 to 5 maunds of yield from each decimal of land,” said Jahid Hossain, arum grower at Duary village of Paba upazila.
“Over 500 hectares of land for Mukhi Kachu and over 150 hectares for Pani Kachu have been used for cultivation of arum in the district this year. We advise farmers to cultivate Pani Kachu in marshlands where other crops do not grow well. Arum cultivation is increasing here every year, and farmers are becoming self-reliant,” said Ali.
Disappointed over low price of paddy, jute and other crops many farmers of the region became interested in the cultivation of arum and some other vegetables in recent years and its cultivation proved lucrative.
Sazdar Rahman, 47, an arum farmer of Rajabari village of Durgapur, said “I have cultivated arum of the mukhi variety on five bighas of raised land and am expecting bumper production. I planted the arum seed in the third week of January and harvest began in the third week of July.”
“The variety grows well on land with good drainage. I am a vegetable farmer, but I have been cultivating arum for some years and getting better profits at lower costs,” said Rahman.
He said farmers use only some organic fertiliser during arum cultivation and they do not need to use insecticides. Farmers face few problems in growing this vegetable. Cattle do not eat arum plants and labour is not required to look after it.
