Farmers have exceeded the fixed farming target for winter vegetables by 2.65 percent in Rangpur agricultural region where its harvest continues with excellent yield rate now making them happy, reports BSS.
Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said a super bumper production of winter vegetables is likely in all five districts of Rangpur agriculture region during the current Rabi season.
“Plenty of all varieties of winter vegetables have appeared in local markets with lucrative prices for farmers,” Deputy Director of the DAE at its regional office Agriculturalist Md. Moniruzzaman said.
Braving the coronavirus pandemic, farmers have completed sowing seeds of winter vegetables on more lands to recoup the huge crop losses they incurred during recent floods in the region.
“The farmers have finally brought 39,367 hectares of land under cultivation of winter vegetables, 2.67 percent higher against the fixed farming target on 38,350 hectares of land to produce 9.48 lakh tonnes of vegetables,” he said.
The government distributed incentives among small, marginal and flood- affected farmers this season in the region where cultivation of vegetables during both winter and summer seasons has become popular bringing huge profits to farmers. The agriculture related departments, organisations and institutions have extended adequate assistance to farmers in making the winter vegetables farming programme a complete success in the region this season.
“The DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute, Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation and other organisations provided quality seed, incentives and agri-inputs and technical assistance to farmers,” Moniruzzaman said.
On the other hand, commercial banks disbursed easy-term agriculture loans among farmers to make the winter vegetables farming programme successful.
Vegetable trader Hafizur Rahman at Rangpur City Market today said all varieties of winter vegetables have appeared in the local markets in plenty with better prices benefiting local farmers.
Meanwhile, vegetables traders are sending huge quantities of winter vegetables to Dhaka city and other parts of the country by trucks from different points in the region.
“Around 800 trucks loaded with winter vegetables are being sent to the capital city and other places daily now from all five districts of Rangpur agriculture region,” Rahman added.
Farmers Echhahaq Ali, Mohsin Hossain, Bubul Ahmed and Dulal Chandra Sarker in Rangpur Sadar expressed satisfaction over current market prices of all varieties of winter vegetables.Senior Coordinator (Agriculture and Environment) of RDRS Bangladesh Agriculturist Mamunur Rahman Rashid said farmers have cultivated winter vegetables on more lands both in the mainland and char areas to earn enhanced profits
this season.
Talking to BSS, President of Rangpur Chamber Mostafa Sohrab Chowdhury Titu stressed on setting up of agro-industries and preservation facilities in the region for enhancing export locally produced vegetables abroad to bring more profits to farmers.
“There are tremendous prospects for exporting huge quantities of locally produced vegetables from the Rangpur region to Malaysia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern, African, European and far eastern countries in the future,” he added.