A record wheat production is likely in the northern region during this Rabi season as the tender
plants are growing excellent now after the enthusiastic farmers already exceeded its fixed
farming target, official sources said.
The farmers have already exceeded the fixed wheat farming target of 2.66 lakh hectares land by
4.27 percent through bringing 2.78 hectares under its cultivation in the region, officials in the
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said.
Horticulture Specialist of DAE Khandaker Md. Mesbahul Islam said the farmers achieved
repeated bumper wheat production with lucrative price in recent years and they will continue
sowing seeds till this month end even after exceeding the farming target.
According to the DAE sources, the government has fixed a target of producing over 8.13
lakh tonnes wheat from 2.66 lakh hectares land during this season for the northern region,
commonly known as the country’s food granary.
The fixed wheat production target for the region is about 63.50 per cent of the total national
production target of 12.81 lakh tonnes from 4.20 lakh hectares land this season.
The DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC), Bangladesh Agriculture
Research Institute (BARI) and different agriculture related organisations have taken adequate
steps to make wheat farming programme successful.
Regional Additional Director of the DAE Sikander Ali said quality wheat seeds, latest
technologies, training, fertilisers and other inputs have been provided to the farmers to achieve
the fixed wheat production target.
The farmers are getting excellent production of high yielding BARI Gom 26, Pradip, Bijoy,
Protiva, Sotabdi, Sourav, Gaurab, Swarna and other wheat varieties using the latest
conservation agriculture (CA)-based technologies in recent years, he said.
Associate Director Agriculture of BRAC International (South Asia and Africa) Dr M A Mazid said
expanded cultivation of high yielding varieties adopting the latest CA- based technologies has
started increasing wheat production.
Large-scale adoption of the CA-based technologies would further increase yields of all cereal
crops including wheat at reduced costs saving huge seeds, irrigation water, power and fuel to
ensure food security amid climate change impacts, he added.
Farmers Abdul Haque, Ayub Ali, Ivy Begum and Abdul Mannan of Mominpur village here said
they have been showing more interests in profitable wheat farming that requires less costs and
brings better profits than rice cultivation. -BSS, Rangpur
