Toriqul Islam, Tetulia
‘Kaun’ is the name of a delicious crop, which is associated with the tradition of rural Bengal. Once it was widely cultivated in rural areas of Bengal, but now the crop is getting endangered as it cannot compete with the improved varieties of other crops.
Despite having plenty of benefits, such as low cost, eco-friendly, easy farming methods and water saving, the cultivation of Kaun can be hardly seen. The crop seems to be disappearing in the mists of time.
The scientific name of Kaun is Setaria italica. In English, it is called foxtail millet. After extensive searches, our correspondent finally found Kaun cultivation on the land of Mofizul Haque, a farmer of Kaldaspara village in Buraburi UP of Tetulia upazila.
Tentulia Sadar UP Chairman and aristocratic farmer Kazi Anisur Rahman said, “Earlier, kaun was cultivated in many lands in our region, but now it kaun cultivation can hardly be seen.”
The cultivation method of the crop is simple, low cost, water efficient and environment friendly. After sowing in dry land, seeds are sown in Chaitra (April). The crop is harvested in the month of Ashar (July).
He added that once the weeding is done, irrigation is not required. Yield of kaun is 10-15 maunds per bigha. There is a lot of demand in the market. Some also use it as fuel. Kaun’s rice is very tasty and delicious. It also acts as an antidote to the disease Jaundice.
Professor Masood of the Department of Botany, Bhajanpur Degree College said, “Everyone should come forward to ensure that this lucrative, tasty, environmentally friendly, low-cost arable and water-saving crop do not become extinct. We have to save this native crop for our own interest.”
He added, “Currently there is a lot of demand for Kaun in the market. By encouraging the farmers through the Department of Agriculture we might be able to sustain the cultivation of Kaun. Otherwise, the next generation will not even know that a crop named Kaun ever existed.”
Tetulia Upazila Agriculture Officer Jahangir Alam said that the crop named Kaun is on the verge of extinction. However, Kaun has been planted in 4 hectares of land in the whole upazila this time. Due to depletion of crop land, most of the crop is not visible now.
He added that the people of the upazila are now more interested in cultivating nuts, maize and sesame. However, initiatives will be taken in every union to increase the demand for this endangered crop.
