Farmers exceed ginger farming target in Rangpur region

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RANGPUR, May 31, 2021 (BSS) – Farmers have exceeded the fixed farming target of ginger in Rangpur agriculture region where tender plants of the spicy crop are growing superbly predicting a bumper output during the current Kharif-1 season.

Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said a target of producing 39,647 tonnes of ginger has been fixed from 3,455 hectares of land fin all five districts of the region this season.

“Farmers have cultivated ginger on 3,541 heaters of land, higher by 86 hectares or 2.49 percent against the fixed farming target for the spicy crop in the region,” said Additional Director of the DAE at its regional office Agriculturist Bibhubhushan Roy

Farmers have cultivated ginger on 1,145 hectares of land in Rangpur, 360 hectares in Gaibandha, 595 hectares in Kurigram, 410 hectares in Lalmonirhat and 1,031 hectares of land in Nilphamari districts of the region this time.

During the last Kharif-1 season, farmers cultivated ginger on 3,165 hectares of land in the region and got a bumper production of the spicy crop.

After getting assistance from the government and repeated bumper production of ginger with lucrative market price every year in recent times, farmers are showing more interest in farming the spicy crop.
“The DAE conducted motivational activities and provided training and technologies to farmers while commercial banks provided easy-term agriculture loans to them for enhancing cultivation of ginger and other spicy crops in the region,” Roy said.

The government also handed over quality seeds to farmers to enhance production of spicy crops ensuring proper crop diversification; land management and utilising latest technologies to attain self-reliance on locally produced spicy crops, including ginger.

Talking to BSS, farmers Ariful Haque, Manik Mian, Abdur Rouf, Mofizar Rahman and Dulal Chandra Sarker of different villages in Rangpur said they have cultivated ginger on more land this season than the last season.

Retail vegetable trader Hafizur Rahman at City Bazar Market in Rangpur city said ginger cultivated during the last season is being sold at rates between Taka 100 and Taka 12 per kg now in local markets.

Senior Coordinator (Agriculture and Environment) of RDRS Bangladesh Agriculturist Mamunur Rashid said different pragmatic steps taken by the government through the DAE and other organisations are inspiring farmers in farming spicy crops.

“Production of ginger and other spicy crops could be increased further through bringing fallow lands and homesteads under farming of high yielding varieties of ginger and other spicy crops across Rangpur agriculture region,” Rashid added.