Experts at a workshop have emphasized on using research findings at farmers' level to further increase output of various nutrient-rich crops as arable land area continues to shrink amid changing climate in the country.
Rangpur Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS) of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) organised the event titled "Research-Extension-Farmer Engagement" on BARI-innovated varieties and technology extension to address agricultural challenges in Rangpur division at its seminar room on Saturday.
Director General (Seed) and Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Md. Abu Zubair Hossain Bablu attended the workshop as the chief guest with Director General of BARI Agriculturist Dr. Debasish Sarker in the chair.
Additional Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) for Dinajpur region Agriculturist Md. Shamim Ashraf and its Additional Director for Rangpur region Agriculturist Md. Aftab Hossain were present as special guests.
Scientists, officials and experts and representatives of BARI and all other agriculture-related departments, institutions and organisations under the Ministry of Agriculture, NGOs, seed and agricultural equipment marketing companies, agricultural entrepreneurs from Rangpur division participated in this workshop.
Chief Scientific Officer of RARS of BARI at Burirhat Agriculturist Dr. Ashis Kumar Saha said most of the agricultural land is sandy loam and loam in Rangpur division where irrigation water is available with good drainage facilities and a longer winter.
"There is a prospect of year-round production of profitable crops, spicy and high-valued crops and vegetables, fruits and flowers and seed by adopting healthy crop rotation in the division where two crops are generally cultivated in four-lakh hectares of land," he said. To increase production of oilseed crops, Rangpur division can play a very important role in meeting shortage of oilseed crops through extensive farming of BARI Shorisa-14, 17 and 20 during the off-season between Aman rice and Boro rice cultivation.
"We are implementing our developed 'Onion seed-Ropa Aush Paddy-Ropa Aman Paddy' cropping pattern alongside working to promote profitable crops based on onion production from onion sets, winter onion and summer onion to increase onion output," he added.
Scientists presented four research papers on 'Agricultural technology suitable for Teesta and Jamuna Chars of Rangpur region, 'Advanced and more profitable year-round four-crop and three-crop technologies', 'Rangpur region suitable spice crop varieties and production technology' and 'Effective management of harmful diseases of various crops in Rangpur region' in the event.
The chief guest said: "Importance should be given to increase yield of crops using our research findings," he said, and called for ensuring easy access of farmers to quality seeds to reduce import dependency.Later, he distributed high yielding vegetable seeds developed by BARI for winter vegetable crops to agricultural entrepreneurs free of cost.
