Barisal Correspondent :
Cultivation and production of wheat in four districts of Barisal Division increased about 3 times in last 4 years under Integrated Agricultural Productivity Project (IAPP) of Agriculture Ministry.
Wheat production rose to 10,997 tons on 3,672 hectors in fiscal 2013-14, the highest in 4 years, mainly due to quality seed supply and climate change affect on weather.
The amount was only 2,889 metric tons on 1,213 hectares in 2010-11 fiscal under this project, according to statistics of IAPP in Barisal division.
Dr. AKM Mizanur Rahman, Regional Project Manager IAPP in Barisal, said wheat cultivation area and production is rising due to farmers’ growing interest in the crop and a shift from Boro cultivation
Lower production cost of wheat without dependence on irrigation and salinity, compared to irrigation-dependent, salinity sensitive boro, and less volatile prices compared to rice might have encouraged growers to sow the grain on more of their lands, the agriculturists said.
According to the Barisal regional office of IAPP, the production and cultivation of wheat was 2,844 metric tones on 1,185 hectors in Barisal, 14 metric tones on 6 hectors in Jhalakathi, 15 metric tones on 12 hectors in Patuakhali , 16 metric tones on 10 hectors in Barguna districts under IAPP projects on 2010-11 fiscal.
However it was increased to 10,265 metric tones on 3,259 hectors in Barisal, 397 metric tones on 138 hectors in Jhalakathi, 190 metric tones on 178 hectors in Patuakhali, 145 metric tones on 97 hectors in Barguna districts under IAPP projects on 2013-14 fiscal
Quality seed supplies also contributed to higher yields from 1.5 metric tons to 3.5 metric tons per hector. The government’s purchase of wheat also gave farmers some added incentive.
In recent years, breeders at Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (Bari) developed six high-yielding wheat seed varieties as BARI GOM- 20,22,24,25 and salinity resistant 26 and 27 containing high protein and have better yielding capacity to rejuvenate farmers’ waning interest in the crop, Dr. Mizanur informed.
Agriculturists said rising acreage and productions of wheat might cut Bangladesh’s import costs for the grain, the demand for which grows every year owing to rising population, health consciousness and industrial use.
“In previous years locally grown wheat contains low protein and was not suitable for industrial processing,” he said, “Wheat containing high protein is needed for baking.”
“Farmers will get higher prices for growing wheat with high levels of protein. It will also reduce our import dependence,” he said.
The country needs 40 lakh tons of wheat, two-thirds of which are imported every year, and imported 26.89 lakh tons of wheat in fiscal 2013-14, up 44 percent from that in the previous year, according to food ministry data.
Cultivation and production of wheat in four districts of Barisal Division increased about 3 times in last 4 years under Integrated Agricultural Productivity Project (IAPP) of Agriculture Ministry.
Wheat production rose to 10,997 tons on 3,672 hectors in fiscal 2013-14, the highest in 4 years, mainly due to quality seed supply and climate change affect on weather.
The amount was only 2,889 metric tons on 1,213 hectares in 2010-11 fiscal under this project, according to statistics of IAPP in Barisal division.
Dr. AKM Mizanur Rahman, Regional Project Manager IAPP in Barisal, said wheat cultivation area and production is rising due to farmers’ growing interest in the crop and a shift from Boro cultivation
Lower production cost of wheat without dependence on irrigation and salinity, compared to irrigation-dependent, salinity sensitive boro, and less volatile prices compared to rice might have encouraged growers to sow the grain on more of their lands, the agriculturists said.
According to the Barisal regional office of IAPP, the production and cultivation of wheat was 2,844 metric tones on 1,185 hectors in Barisal, 14 metric tones on 6 hectors in Jhalakathi, 15 metric tones on 12 hectors in Patuakhali , 16 metric tones on 10 hectors in Barguna districts under IAPP projects on 2010-11 fiscal.
However it was increased to 10,265 metric tones on 3,259 hectors in Barisal, 397 metric tones on 138 hectors in Jhalakathi, 190 metric tones on 178 hectors in Patuakhali, 145 metric tones on 97 hectors in Barguna districts under IAPP projects on 2013-14 fiscal
Quality seed supplies also contributed to higher yields from 1.5 metric tons to 3.5 metric tons per hector. The government’s purchase of wheat also gave farmers some added incentive.
In recent years, breeders at Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (Bari) developed six high-yielding wheat seed varieties as BARI GOM- 20,22,24,25 and salinity resistant 26 and 27 containing high protein and have better yielding capacity to rejuvenate farmers’ waning interest in the crop, Dr. Mizanur informed.
Agriculturists said rising acreage and productions of wheat might cut Bangladesh’s import costs for the grain, the demand for which grows every year owing to rising population, health consciousness and industrial use.
“In previous years locally grown wheat contains low protein and was not suitable for industrial processing,” he said, “Wheat containing high protein is needed for baking.”
“Farmers will get higher prices for growing wheat with high levels of protein. It will also reduce our import dependence,” he said.
The country needs 40 lakh tons of wheat, two-thirds of which are imported every year, and imported 26.89 lakh tons of wheat in fiscal 2013-14, up 44 percent from that in the previous year, according to food ministry data.
