ZCZC
BSS- 19
WINTER-VEGETABLES-RANGPUR
9 lakh tonnes vegetables production likely in Rangpur
RANGPUR, Oct 22, 2019 (BSS) – The government has fixed a target of
producing over 9.08- lakh tonnes winter vegetables from 40,375 hectares of
land for all five districts in Rangpur agriculture region during the current
season.
Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said adequate
steps including providing necessary agri-inputs have been taken to achieve
the target of vegetable production.
Meanwhile, farmers have already brought over 10,000 hectares of land under
cultivation of winter vegetables, including early varieties of potato on
3,500 hectares, as the process of sowing winter vegetable seed will continue
till December next.
Deputy Director of the DAE at its regional office Md Moniruzzaman said the
DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation and other agri-
organisations are supplying necessary agri-inputs including quality seed
alongside providing latest technologies to farmers.
“The commercial banks, including Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank and NGOs are
disbursing easy-term agriculture loans and other inputs among farmers to make
the intensive winter vegetable farming programming a success this season,” he
said.
Senior Coordinator (Agriculture and Environment) of RDRS Bangladesh, an
NGO, Agriculturist Mamunur Rashid said farmers are expanding farming of
winter vegetables after getting bumper productions with fair price in recent
years.
“Side by side with cultivation of winter vegetables by farmers on the
mainland, hundreds of char people are farming winter vegetables on char lands
in riverine areas in Rangpur agriculture region to reap huge benefits in
recent years,” he said.
The farmers are sowing vegetable seed on crop lands after harvesting early
varieties of short duration Aman rice and the process will get full momentum
when harvest of traditional variety T-Aman will begin in full swing from last
week of November.
“Meanwhile, early varieties of some winter vegetables cultivated adopting
newer cropping patterns have already appeared in local markets bringing
smiles to farmers with lucrative prices now,” Rashid said.
Farmers Abdullah, Mohidul Haque, Alimuddin and Nuru Mian of different
villages said they already started selling early varieties of winter
vegetables like cauliflower, brinjal, ‘Korola’, ‘Potol’, bean, ‘Jhinga’,
‘Kakrol’, green chili and other crops.
They also expressed satisfaction over the present lucrative market price of
early varieties of winter vegetables and hoped that they would be able to
harvest early variety potato from the last week of November to reap huge
profits.
Talking to BSS, vegetables traders at Rangpur City Bazar Market said a
bigger portion of the harvested early varieties of winter vegetables are
being sent to capital city and other parts of the country.
“Some 30 to 40 trucks loaded with early varieties of winter vegetables are
being sent to the capital city and other places daily from Rangpur
agriculture region now,” vegetable trader Hafizur Rahman at the market told
BSS today.
Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur region Muhammad Ali predicted a
bumper yield of winter vegetables during this season following favourable
climatic condition.
“Cultivation of vegetables round the year has become a highly profitable
venture bringing self-reliance to thousands of farmers in the mainland and
char people in riverine areas in Rangpur agriculture region,” Ali added.
BSS/MI/MMR/ARS/1609 hrs