RAJSHAHI, Sept 2, 2020 (BSS) – Arum farming has become boon for many people everywhere in the region including its vast Barind tract due to its high demand and nutrition values as its cultivation has changed many farmers’ fortunes with bumper production and high profit.
Locally known as ‘Latiraj’, arum is usually planted in early January and its harvesting begins in mid-April, he said, adding the harvesting continues for eight months till mid-December, said Shamsul Haque, Deputy Director of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) here.
A lot of farmers have started cultivating arum commercially as its market price is rising gradually. “A farmer gets 3 to 5 maunds of yield from each decimal of land,” he went on saying.
Per mound of arum is being sold at Taka 1,400 to 1,600 in the wholesale market as the consumers can purchase it at Taka 50 per kilogram from retailers or vendors, he added.
Agriculturist Shamsul Haque said arum is an environment-friendly and nourishing vegetable item, adding the agriculture department has been advising farmers on cultivating different high yield varieties of arum.
He said the farmers of the region are expected to grow huge quantities of arum this year by using modern technology and compost fertilizer as per suggestion of DAE.
Farmers are now cultivating different varieties of arum in the region and almost all the varieties are grown in the water-logged areas, he continued.
Mukhi Kochu, a variety of arum, has been cultivated on over 500 hectares of land and PaniKachu, it’s another variety, on over 150 hectares of land in the district this year, he said, adding the farmers were given suggestions for cultivating Pani Kachu in marshlands where other crops do not grow well.
Anarul Islam, 48, an arum farmer of Borgachhi village of Paba upazila, said he has cultivated mukhi arum on three bighas of land, expecting bumper production.
He planted the arum seed in the last week of January and began harvesting in the first week of August.
He said arum grows well on his land and he has been cultivating this vegetable for the last few years because he gets good profit at lower expenses.
Jafar Ali, another farmer of Chanduria village under Tanore upazila said he cultivated Taro Arum (Mukhi Kachu or BoiKachu) and got an excellent yield of the crop this season.
He added that a farmer can get 2-3 maunds of Taro Arum from each decimal of land.
Dr Khalilur Rahman, Professor of Medicine in Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, called arum as a nourishing and tasty vegetable. This food item works as a remedy of different diseases, he claimed.