BSS, Rangpur :
A bumper production of pulses is likely in Rangpur agriculture region this season where farmers already achieved the fixed farming target and cultivation of few varieties of the crop would continue till the next month.
According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources, farmers have already cultivated pulses on 8,350 hectares of land against the fixed target of bringing 8,347 hectares under its farming to produce 9,317 tonnes of crop in the region.
“The farmers might exceed the fixed farming target as sowing of seed of mungbean and some other varieties of pulses would continue till the next month end in the region,” said Horticulture Specialist of the DAE Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam.
He said the agriculture related departments, organisations and banks provided adequate training, quality seed, latest technologies, inputs and easy-term agri-loans to the farmers to make the pulses farming programme successful this season.
“Besides, the special steps taken by the government, including providing agri-loans at lower interest rate for enhancing production of pulses and spice crops, further encouraged the farmers in bringing more land under cultivation of pulses this season,” Islam added.
The concerned agriculture related departments, organisations and banks have provided adequate training, quality seed, latest technologies, inputs and agri-loans to the farmers to make the pulses farming programme successful this season.
The farmers so far cultivated lentil in 2,007 hectares of land, gram in 64 hectares, ‘Mashkalai’ in 4,699 hectares, mungbean in 369 hectares, ‘Khesari’ in 1,135 hectares, cowpea in 35 hectares and ‘Arhar’ in 61 hectares land this time in the region.
Talking to BSS, Deputy Director of the DAE SM Ashraf Ali predicted a brighter prospect for enhancing pulse output through motivating the farmers to increase cultivation in all five districts under Rangpur agriculture region.
“The country would be able to achieve self- reliance on pulse in near future as farmers have already been showing their interests in expanding cultivation of pulses in the main land as well as in the char areas,” he added.
Regional Additional Director of the DAE Md Shah Alam said Rangpur agriculture region had tremendous potential to further increase pulse production through ensuring proper crop diversification, land management and utilisation of the latest technologies.
He specially suggested the farmers for large-scale adoption of the mixed and inter-cropping methods of crop farming to further increase production of pulses in all seasons round the year in the region.
