The farmers of the Rangpur agriculture region have produced 4,043 tonnes of six varieties of pulses in all five districts of the area during the just-ended 2022-2023 Robi season.
Farmers are happy to get a rewarding price of all varieties of pulses they produced during the season.
Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said, a target for producing 5,051 tonnes of six varieties of pulses from 3,325 hectares of land was fixed for all five districts of the region.
“However, farmers finally brought 2,890 hectares of land under pulse cultivation, 435 hectares less against the fixed farming target this season,” Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur region Agriculturist Md. Aftab Hossain told BSS today.
The fixed farming target of pulses could not be achieved due to crop diversification and cultivation of maize, chili and vegetables on more land across the region.
The fixed target included production of 2,128 metric tonnes of lentil from 1,258 hectares of land, 2,270 tonnes of ‘Khesari’ from 1,630 hectares, 72 tonnes of ‘Arhar’ from 67 hectares, 156 tonnes Gram from 77 hectares, 393 tonnes Mungbean from 293 hectares and 32 tonnes of Cowpea from 22 hectares of land.
However, the farmers finally cultivated lentil on 1,058 hectares of land, 'Khesari' on 1,515 hectares, 'Arhar' on 50 hectares, Gram on 37 hectares, Mungbean on 221 hectares and Cowpea on 13 hectares of land in the region.
After completing harvest recently, farmers produced a total of 4,043 tonnes of pulses this time against the fixed production of 5,051 tonnes of these varieties of pulses during the just-ended Robi season.
The produced pulses include 1,480 tonnes of lentil, 2,142 tonnes of ‘Khesari’, 62 tonnes of ‘Arhar’, 77 tonnes of gram, 259 tonnes Mungbean and 23 tonnes of Cowpea this time.
“The DAE and other organisations provided training, technologies and inputs support to the farmers to make the pulse farming program a success,” Hossain said.
The DAE also distributed high quality seeds of Lentil, Mung-bean and Khesari varieties of pulses and fertilisers as cost-free incentives to the small and marginal farmers to inspire them in enhancing farming of pulses to enhance production.
Deputy Director of the DAE for Rangpur Md. Obaidur Rahman Mondal stressed on adoption of the mixed, relay and intercropping crop cultivation methods to increase the farming and production of pulses in all seasons across the region.
Talking to BSS, farmers Aminur Rahman, Mohsin Ali and Abdus Salam of different villages in Rangpur said they are happy after getting a better production of different varieties of pulses and lucrative prices in the local markets.
