RANGPUR, Dec 28, 2017 (BSS) – Agriculture experts are expecting bumper production of groundnut as farmers have exceeded the fixed farming target of the cash crop by 36.72 percent during the current Rabi season in Rangpur agriculture region.
Official of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said a target of producing 5,512 tonnes of groundnut from 3,445 hectares of land has been fixed for all five districts under the agriculture region this season.
Horticulture Specialist of the DAE at its regional office Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam said the farmers have finally cultivated groundnut in 4,710 hectares of land exceeding the fixed farming target by 1,265 hectares of land or 36.72 percent.
“The farmers are increasing groundnut cultivation every year after getting bumper production with lucrative price of the cash crop everywhere, including the vast sandy-barren char areas on the river basins, in recent years,” Islam added.
Farmers Lokman Hossain, Saiful Islam and Saiduzzaman of Char Biswa Nath village under Kawnia upazila said he has changed fortune through farming groundnut in the char lands during the past two decades to lead solvent life.
Similarly, farmers Yakub Hossain, Hamidur Rahman, Rezaul Islam, Abdus Sobhan and Shakil Ahmed of different villages said they also achieved self- reliance through farming groundnut in the sandy-barren char lands in recent years.
Deputy Director of the DAE at its regional office Md Moniruzzaman said a farmer could earn a profit of Taka 30 to 35 thousand by producing 20 to 22 mounds of groundnut per acre of land after spending Taka 12,000- 14,000 as farming costs in the char lands.
Deputy Director of the DAE for Rangpur SM Asharf Ali said cultivation of groundnut is expanding both in the char and main land areas every year following various assistance and inputs being provided by the government to the farmers in the region.
Predicting bumper production of groundnut this time, Regional Additional Director of the DAE Md Shah Alam said many farmers have improved their livelihoods through farming groundnut twice annually during the Rabi and Kharif seasons in recent years.