Farmers of the region including the vast Barind tract are showing much interest in vegetable farming, as it is being more profitable than any other crops.
As a result, the vegetable farming is on the gradual rise. But, the irrigation cost of the farmers has been enhanced to a greater extent due to the changing climatic condition.
Meanwhile, the early harvest of the winter vegetables also made the farmers happy, as they are getting better prices at the beginning of the season, farmers and market sources said.
Horticulture Specialist Monzurul Huda said that Rajshahi has been regarded as the country’s most prospective vegetable producing region. Production of vegetable is one of the major income-generating activities in the region, he added.
“Consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits are helpful in flourishing physical and mental power of the babies”, he clarified.
In terms of food and nutritive values green vegetables are vital as these are enriched with enormous vitamin A, B, C, calcium and iron which are essential for human body irrespective of age and sex.
He said considering its environmental and financial aspects, people are becoming interested in horticulture in their homesteads recently creating a huge demand for fruit saplings, vegetable seeds and saplings of ornamental plants.
Deputy Director of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Nurul Amin said the DAE has set a target of bringing 7,430 hectares of land under vegetable farming in the district during the current winter season and the farmers have exceeded the fixed target.
‘Farming of late variety winter vegetables will continue further, even after the harvesting of traditional variety T-Aman paddy in the region,’ the DAE officials said.
This has become possible because the DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute, Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation and many NGOs supplied adequate quality seeds, other agro-inputs and provided necessary technical assistance to the farmers.
Apart from this, different commercial banks, Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank(RAKUB) and NGOs disbursed agriculture loans and interest- free loans among the farmers to make the massive vegetables farming programme successful.
The DAE officials are expecting a bumper production of vegetables during the current season. -BSS, Rajshahi
