Ashikuzzaman and Mesbah Uddin, have been cultivating Ginger in sacs for the first time on the fallow land and under the mango groves in Puthia upazila of Rajshahi district.
Ashikuzzaman and Mesbah Uddin of Biraldaha area became interested to cultivate Ginger in sacs after watching the technique in YouTube. They procured Ginger seeds from Panchgarh district and started to cultivate those seeds in sacks filled with soil and bio-fertiliser on 20 decimals of lands under the Cropping Intensity Project.
They used 2,600 sacs to cultivate Ginger there. Both the friends are highly hopeful of success of their Ginger cultivation and said if the cultivation of Ginger in sacs could be extended throughout the country, it will increase the production of spices and the farmers would be benefitted economically by cultivating Ginger this way.
Ashikuzzaman informed they filled all 2,600 sacs with cow-dung manure, soil, biofertiliser and some coarse sand and planted seeds of Ginger in those sacs on 20-decimal of fallow land. Rajshahi district Agriculture Officer, Puthia Upazila Agriculture Officer and Upazila Block Supervisor were cooperating them fully in cultivating the Ginger in sacs.
Mohammad Ali, a local resident informed he has never watched the cultivation of Ginger in sacs inside the mango groves. He said, if this process brings success, he would also cultivate Ginger the same way inside his mango grove. Ashikuzzaman and Mesbahuddin further informed they have invested nearly Tk 100,000 for the cultivation of Ginger in sacs and hoped other farmers will also be interested in cultivating Ginger in sacs on the fallow land and inside unused land under the mango groves.
Smriti Rani Sarker, Puthia Upazila Agriculture Officer, informed two young men of the upazila for the first time have initiated cultivation of Ginger in sacs on fallow land and under mango groves. The growth of the Ginger plants was excellent and she hoped the production will also be excellent. She added, Upazila Agril Office was observing the situation of the Ginger cultivation closely.
Mozdar Hossain,Deputy Director of Rajshahi Agriculture Extension Deptt. informed Mango is being cultivated on 20,000 hectares of land in Rajshahi district and Ginger may also be cultivated on these 20,000 hectares land. He further said, steps have been taken to cultivate Ginger under Mango groves in nine upazilas of the district and farmers of the district are being inspired to cultivate the high-value spice Ginger. Farmers are being supplied with all technical support from the DAE, Rajshahi, he mentioned. He mentioned, the farmers would be able to reap their first instalment of Ginger within one to one and a half month of cultivation and they would be able to harvest rest of Ginger within next three months. The cultivation of Ginger in sacs will create a new horizon in spice cultivation in the district and in the country, he added.