Rangpur region eyes bumper winter vegetable productionA bumper production of winter vegetables is likely in all five districts under Rangpur agriculture region during the current 2016-2017 Rabi season, official sources said.
The farmers have still been cultivating winter vegetables after bringing 35,351 hectares of land under its farming against the fixed target of cultivating the crop in 36,799 hectares of land to produce over 7.48 lakh tonnes vegetables this time in the region.
Meanwhile, continuous harvest of the early variety winter vegetables with excellent yield rates and better price have brought smiles to the farmers now everywhere in the region at this stage of cultivation of the crops this season.
Under the programme, the farmer have so far cultivated winter vegetables in 10,300 hectares of land in Rangpur, 7,390 hectares in Gaibandha, 5,300 hectares in Kurigram, 5,450 hectares in Lalmonirhat and 5,516 hectares of land in Nilphamari districts in the region.
Horticulture Specialist of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam said cultivation of vegetables, both during winter and summer seasons, had already become popular in recent times bringing huge profits to the farmers.
“Following expanded cultivation of early variety winter vegetables adopting newer cropping patterns, all varieties of the winter vegetables have flooded the local markets with excellent yield rates in the region,” Islam added.
The DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI), Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) and NGOs have supplied quality seed, other agro-inputs and provided necessary technical assistance to the farmers.
In addition, different commercial banks, including Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank (RAKUB) and NGOs have disbursed agriculture and other easy-term loans among the farmers to make the massive winter vegetables farming programme successful.
According to the DAE sources, the farmers have still been continuing cultivation of winter vegetables side by side with continuing harvest of the early variety vegetables to earn better profits.
According to market sources, vegetables traders have been exporting huge quantities of early variety vegetables to Dhaka and other parts of the country by trucks from different points in all five districts under Rangpur agriculture region daily.
Rangpur Regional Additional Director of DAE Md Shah Alam said that the farmers had been cultivating winter vegetables at larger scales everywhere in the region after getting repeated bumper production with lucrative price in recent years.
