BSS, Rangpur :
Experts at a farmers’ field day have said the farmers of the northern districts have been reaping more profits by boosting mustard cultivation in recent years adopting the new cropping pattern evolved by RDRS Bangladesh.
The new cropping pattern of “Short duration Aman rice- mustard or potato-mungbean- short duration Aus (pariza) rice” also enables farmers in getting four crops annually from the same land to improve their livelihoods enhancing crop intensification, they said.
They were addressing the farmers’ field day organised by RDRS Bangladesh for harvesting of the high yielding variety (HYV) BARI Sorisha-14 mustard in village Melabar under Kishoreganj upazila of Nilphamari.
Additional Deputy Director (Crop) of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) for Nilphamari Aftab Hossain attended the field day as the chief guest and also inaugurated harvesting of the crop in the field of farmer Ramesh Chandra of the village.
With Programme Coordinator of RDRS Bangladesh for Nilphamari district KM Rashedul Arefin in the chair, Kishoreganj Upazila Agriculture Officer Rezaul Islam attended and addressed the occasion as the special guest.
More than 200 male and female farmers of the area, officials of the DAE and RDRS Bangladesh, local public representatives, local community leaders and journalists were present.
Agriculture and Environment Coordinator of the NGO Mamunur Rashid delivered welcome speech narrating the new cropping pattern to increase food production for attaining sustainable food security amid adverse climate change impacts.
The programme is being implemented to popularise the cropping pattern in association with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University under funding of Krishi Gobeshona Foundation with DAE assistance in Rangpur division since 2011.
He said after getting repeated bumper production of four crops annually in recent years, 2,200 farmers have cultivated BARI-14 Sorisha-14 on 2,200 bigha lands after harvesting short duration Aman rice adopting the cropping pattern in Rangpur division this time.
“BARI Sorisha-14 is a short duration crop that can be cultivated between the gap of harvesting short duration Aman and cultivation of Boro rice to harvest in 80-85 days since sowing seed to get average yield rate of over 1.5 tonnes per hectare,” he said.
After harvesting the BARI Sorisha-14, farmer Ramesh Chandra got its 1.65 tonnes yield rate per hectare, which is much higher than the yield rate of the traditional varieties of the crop.
The expert said the newer cropping pattern ensures sustainable crop intensification to increase food output by enabling the farmers cultivating four crops annually on the same land making farm activities more profitable.
The chief guest asked the farmers for expanded cultivation of BARI Sorisha-14 adopting the new cropping pattern not only to boost production, but also to meet the local demand of edible oil reducing its import and simultaneously improving soil health.
Experts at a farmers’ field day have said the farmers of the northern districts have been reaping more profits by boosting mustard cultivation in recent years adopting the new cropping pattern evolved by RDRS Bangladesh.
The new cropping pattern of “Short duration Aman rice- mustard or potato-mungbean- short duration Aus (pariza) rice” also enables farmers in getting four crops annually from the same land to improve their livelihoods enhancing crop intensification, they said.
They were addressing the farmers’ field day organised by RDRS Bangladesh for harvesting of the high yielding variety (HYV) BARI Sorisha-14 mustard in village Melabar under Kishoreganj upazila of Nilphamari.
Additional Deputy Director (Crop) of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) for Nilphamari Aftab Hossain attended the field day as the chief guest and also inaugurated harvesting of the crop in the field of farmer Ramesh Chandra of the village.
With Programme Coordinator of RDRS Bangladesh for Nilphamari district KM Rashedul Arefin in the chair, Kishoreganj Upazila Agriculture Officer Rezaul Islam attended and addressed the occasion as the special guest.
More than 200 male and female farmers of the area, officials of the DAE and RDRS Bangladesh, local public representatives, local community leaders and journalists were present.
Agriculture and Environment Coordinator of the NGO Mamunur Rashid delivered welcome speech narrating the new cropping pattern to increase food production for attaining sustainable food security amid adverse climate change impacts.
The programme is being implemented to popularise the cropping pattern in association with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University under funding of Krishi Gobeshona Foundation with DAE assistance in Rangpur division since 2011.
He said after getting repeated bumper production of four crops annually in recent years, 2,200 farmers have cultivated BARI-14 Sorisha-14 on 2,200 bigha lands after harvesting short duration Aman rice adopting the cropping pattern in Rangpur division this time.
“BARI Sorisha-14 is a short duration crop that can be cultivated between the gap of harvesting short duration Aman and cultivation of Boro rice to harvest in 80-85 days since sowing seed to get average yield rate of over 1.5 tonnes per hectare,” he said.
After harvesting the BARI Sorisha-14, farmer Ramesh Chandra got its 1.65 tonnes yield rate per hectare, which is much higher than the yield rate of the traditional varieties of the crop.
The expert said the newer cropping pattern ensures sustainable crop intensification to increase food output by enabling the farmers cultivating four crops annually on the same land making farm activities more profitable.
The chief guest asked the farmers for expanded cultivation of BARI Sorisha-14 adopting the new cropping pattern not only to boost production, but also to meet the local demand of edible oil reducing its import and simultaneously improving soil health.
