BSS, Rangpur :
Experts at a discussion here have said the newer cropping pattern evolved by RDRS Bangladesh increases output benefiting the farmers enabling them cultivating four crops annually on the same land.
They were addressing the discussion organised by RDRS Bangladesh at a farmers’ filed day on the exhibition BARI Mug 6 variety mugbean field of farmer Wares Ali in village Khamar Fotehpur under Mithapukur upazila here on Friday.
Mithapukur Upazila Agriculture Officer Dr Mohammad Sarwarul Haque attended the occasion as the chief guest with chairman of local Barahazratpur union Abdus Salam Mian in the chair.
Programme Manager (Filed Coordination) of RDRS Bangladesh Merina Ahmed, its Assistant Coordinator (Agriculture) Syeda Nuhera Begum and Agriculture Officer Sharifa Pasha also addressed the discussion.
Merina Ahmed delivered welcome speech on the occasion participated by a large number of male and female farmers, NGO and public representatives, federation members, local elite and journalists.
Syeda Nuhera Begum narrated the technology for mugbean farming adopting the new cropping pattern of ‘Short duration Aman rice-mustard/potato-mungbean- short duration Aus (pariza) rice’ to get four crops on the same land annually with more benefits.
She said the new cropping pattern substantially improves soil health, environment, ecology and livelihoods of the poor effectively through creating huge farm activities and jobs in the fields during seasonal lean periods.
After evolving the cropping pattern, RDRS Bangladesh continues expanding it in Rangpur division since 2011 with the assistances of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agriculture University and Krishi Gobeshona Foundation.
During this season, 2,100 farmers have cultivated mugbean on 2,100 bigha lands in Rangpur, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Gaibandha, Panchagarh, Thakurgaon and Dinajpur districts adopting the cropping pattern.
After harvesting mustard, farmers sowed mugbean seed to harvest the pulse within 60-70 days by May for cultivating parija rice as Aus crop to be followed by farming of short duration Aman on the same land by July under the new cropping pattern, she said.
The chief guest called upon all concerned for popularising the new cropping pattern among the farmers to ensure food security by enhancing sustainable crop intensification under adverse climate change impacts.
He appreciated the new cropping pattern that increases 20.79 per cent crop yields and 76.81 per cent gross returns and helps increasing output of pulse to reduce our dependence on import of the essential commodity.
