BSS, Rangpur :
Five districts under Rangpur agriculture region saw farmers produced 4,585 tonnes of different varieties of pulses in the just-ended Rabi season.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources said the fixed farming target of pulses could not be achieved this time following cultivation of maize, chili and vegetables on more land and almost no crop damage during the rainy season last year.
Horticulture Specialist of the DAE at its regional office Agriculturist Khondker Md. Mesbahul Islam told BSS that farmers generally bring more land under pulse cultivation when seasonal floods damage Aman rice crop on vast land areas.
“As there were almost no damage to T-Aman rice crop by floods last year, farmers cultivated more profitable crops like maize, chili, vegetables and other crops bringing less land area under pulse farming during the last Rabi season,” he said.
However, farmers are very happy getting lucrative price of their produced different varieties of pulses in all five districts of Rangpur, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram and Nilphamari districts under the region.
“The DAE had fixed a target of producing 10,395 tonnes of pulses from 8,540 hectares of land in Rangpur agriculture region during the last Rabi season,” Islam said. However, farmers brought 3,631 hectares of land under pulse cultivation, less by 4,909 hectares of land or 57.5 percent than the fixed farming target in the region.
Accordingly, the fixed production target of pulses fell short by 5,810 tonnes or 56 percent against 10,395 tonnes of pulses in the region during the last Rabi season.
Additional Deputy Director of DAE for Rangpur region Agriculturist Muhammad Ali said agriculture related departments and organisations provided training, seed, latest technologies and inputs to farmers to make the pulse farming programme successful.
“Besides, the government through different commercial banks disbursed easy-term agri-loans to farmers to encourage them in bringing more land under cultivation of pulses to enhance production during the last Rabi season.
He called for adoption of the mixed and inter-cropping crop cultivation methods to increase production of pulses as profitable crops on the main land and riverine char areas in all seasons to make the nation self-reliant on pulse at its own.
Production of spicy crop remains steady in Rangpur region
Production of spicy crops remains mostly steady with an increasing trend and lucrative market price making many farmers self-reliant in last six years in Rangpur agriculture region.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) source said farmers are producing seven major varieties of spicy crops like onion, garlic, ‘Dhania’, ginger, turmeric, ‘Kalojira’ and chili in the tune of over 1.69-lakh tonnes annually in the region during the period.
After launching of the five-year term “Production, Storage and Distribution of Quality Seeds of Pulses, Oils and Spices at Farmers Level Project’ by DAE last year, production of these crops, including spices, is expected to continue increasing onward in the region.
Horticulture Specialist of DAE at its regional office Khondker Md. Mesbahul Islam said farmers started getting benefits from the newly launched project and becoming inspired to increase production of spices, pulses and oils in the region.
“The farmers produced over 1.73-lakh tonnes of onion, garlic, ‘Dhania’, ginger, turmeric, ‘Kalojira’ and chili from 28,396 hectares of land during the 2018-2019 in Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari of the region,” he said.
Production of these spicy crops stood at over 1.70-lakh tonnes during 2017-2018, over 1.73-lakh tonnes during 2016-2017, over 1.76-lakh tonnes during 2015-2016, over 1.69-lakh tonnes during 2014-2015 and over 1.51-lakh tonnes during 2013-2014 in the region.
“After getting assistance under the newly launched project in terms of training, technologies, inputs and quality seed to set up exhibition plots, farmers are showing more interests in expanded cultivation of spicy crops,”Islam said.
Additional Director of DSAE for Rangpur region Muhammad Ali said DAE is also extending assistance to farmers in proper crop diversification, land management and utilisation of latest technologies for large-scale farming of spices.
He said DAE has intensified its motivational activities under the ongoing five-year newly launched project to encourage people in farming spices on their fallow lands and homesteads to increase its production in the region.
Five districts under Rangpur agriculture region saw farmers produced 4,585 tonnes of different varieties of pulses in the just-ended Rabi season.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources said the fixed farming target of pulses could not be achieved this time following cultivation of maize, chili and vegetables on more land and almost no crop damage during the rainy season last year.
Horticulture Specialist of the DAE at its regional office Agriculturist Khondker Md. Mesbahul Islam told BSS that farmers generally bring more land under pulse cultivation when seasonal floods damage Aman rice crop on vast land areas.
“As there were almost no damage to T-Aman rice crop by floods last year, farmers cultivated more profitable crops like maize, chili, vegetables and other crops bringing less land area under pulse farming during the last Rabi season,” he said.
However, farmers are very happy getting lucrative price of their produced different varieties of pulses in all five districts of Rangpur, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram and Nilphamari districts under the region.
“The DAE had fixed a target of producing 10,395 tonnes of pulses from 8,540 hectares of land in Rangpur agriculture region during the last Rabi season,” Islam said. However, farmers brought 3,631 hectares of land under pulse cultivation, less by 4,909 hectares of land or 57.5 percent than the fixed farming target in the region.
Accordingly, the fixed production target of pulses fell short by 5,810 tonnes or 56 percent against 10,395 tonnes of pulses in the region during the last Rabi season.
Additional Deputy Director of DAE for Rangpur region Agriculturist Muhammad Ali said agriculture related departments and organisations provided training, seed, latest technologies and inputs to farmers to make the pulse farming programme successful.
“Besides, the government through different commercial banks disbursed easy-term agri-loans to farmers to encourage them in bringing more land under cultivation of pulses to enhance production during the last Rabi season.
He called for adoption of the mixed and inter-cropping crop cultivation methods to increase production of pulses as profitable crops on the main land and riverine char areas in all seasons to make the nation self-reliant on pulse at its own.
Production of spicy crop remains steady in Rangpur region
Production of spicy crops remains mostly steady with an increasing trend and lucrative market price making many farmers self-reliant in last six years in Rangpur agriculture region.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) source said farmers are producing seven major varieties of spicy crops like onion, garlic, ‘Dhania’, ginger, turmeric, ‘Kalojira’ and chili in the tune of over 1.69-lakh tonnes annually in the region during the period.
After launching of the five-year term “Production, Storage and Distribution of Quality Seeds of Pulses, Oils and Spices at Farmers Level Project’ by DAE last year, production of these crops, including spices, is expected to continue increasing onward in the region.
Horticulture Specialist of DAE at its regional office Khondker Md. Mesbahul Islam said farmers started getting benefits from the newly launched project and becoming inspired to increase production of spices, pulses and oils in the region.
“The farmers produced over 1.73-lakh tonnes of onion, garlic, ‘Dhania’, ginger, turmeric, ‘Kalojira’ and chili from 28,396 hectares of land during the 2018-2019 in Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari of the region,” he said.
Production of these spicy crops stood at over 1.70-lakh tonnes during 2017-2018, over 1.73-lakh tonnes during 2016-2017, over 1.76-lakh tonnes during 2015-2016, over 1.69-lakh tonnes during 2014-2015 and over 1.51-lakh tonnes during 2013-2014 in the region.
“After getting assistance under the newly launched project in terms of training, technologies, inputs and quality seed to set up exhibition plots, farmers are showing more interests in expanded cultivation of spicy crops,”Islam said.
Additional Director of DSAE for Rangpur region Muhammad Ali said DAE is also extending assistance to farmers in proper crop diversification, land management and utilisation of latest technologies for large-scale farming of spices.
He said DAE has intensified its motivational activities under the ongoing five-year newly launched project to encourage people in farming spices on their fallow lands and homesteads to increase its production in the region.
