ZCZC
BSS-16
WINTER-VEGETABLES (with picture)
Rangpur division to produce 13.78-lakh tonnes winter vegetables
RANGPUR, Nov 13, 2018 (BSS)- The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE)
has fixed a target of producing 13.78 lakh tonnes winter vegetables from
66,114 hectares of land in Rangpur division this season.
Officials of the DAE said steps have been taken to make the intensive
winter vegetables’ farming programme successful by providing necessary
assistance to farmers of all eight districts in the division.
The DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute, Bangladesh Agriculture
Development Corporation and other organisations are supplying adequate
quality seeds, agri-inputs and providing necessary technical assistance to
the farmers.
The commercial banks, including Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank and some NGOs
are disbursing easy-term agriculture loan among the farmers to make the
farming programme a success.
Horticulture Specialist of the DAE at its regional office Khondker Md
Mesbahul Islam said farmers are showing interests in farming winter
vegetables after getting repeated bumper production with fair price in recent
years.
The farmers have started cultivation of winter vegetables and already sowed
seed on in 15,500 hectares of land after harvesting short duration Aman rice
and also started harvesting early varieties of the vegetables.
“Farming of winter vegetables will get full momentum when harvest of
traditional variety T-Aman will begin in full swing from the fourth week of
November,” Islam added.
Meanwhile, early varieties of winter vegetables have already appeared in
local markets bringing smiles to farmers with lucrative prices in the
beginning of this Rabi season.
Deputy Director of the DAE for Rangpur Dr Sarwarul Alam predicted a bumper
yield of winter vegetables during this Rabi season following favourable
climatic condition and adequate assistance being provided by the government
to farmers. “Some winter vegetables have appeared in local markets now
following early farming under newer cropping patterns evolved in accordance
with changing climatic condition,” Alam said.
Meanwhile, vegetable traders have started exporting early varieties winter
vegetables to the capital city and other parts of the country by trucks from
different points in the region.
“Some 80-100 trucks loaded with early varieties of winter vegetables are
being sent to the capital and other places daily from Rangpur division,”
vegetable trader Hafizur Rahman at Rangpur City Market said today.
Farmers Solaiman Ali and Abdus Salam of Ranipukur village in Mithapukur
upazila here said they already started selling their early varieties of
winter vegetables like cauliflower, brinjal, ‘Korola’, ‘Potol’, bean,
‘Jhinga’, ‘Kakrol’, green chili and other crops.
They expressed satisfaction over the present markets price of early
varieties of different winter vegetables and hoped that they would be able to
harvest early variety potato from December next.
Deputy Director of the DAE at its regional office Md Moniruzzaman said
cultivation of vegetables has become a profitable venture changing fortune of
thousands of farmers in recent years in the division.
BSS/SPL/MI/SSS/1639 hrs