Like in many other char areas of Rangpur agriculture region, local farmers are hoping for better profits from
cultivation of early varieties of brinjal on char lands in Phulbari upazila of Kurigram during this Kharip-2 season.
Getting repeated bumper output with lucrative price during post floods periods in recent years, char people have cultivated early varieties of brinjal on over 100 hectares of land in the upazila alone. Officials at Phulbari upazila agriculture office of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said farmers of the upazila generally reap better profits through cultivation of Rabi crops during the winter seasons.
However, cultivation of early varieties of brinjal has become popular on char lands during the Kharip-2 seasons in the upazila to bring more profits to farmers before commencement of the Rabi season from late October. “The local farmers are cultivating early varieties of brinjal on own char lands and char lands of others as sharecroppers to reap huge profits,” said Upazila Agriculture Officer Agriculturist Md. Mahbubur Rashid.
The DAE is providing training, assistance and latest technologies to local farmers to inspire them in cultivating early varieties of vegetables, especially brinjal, on char lands after floods. As a result, farmers of the upazila are expanding brinjal farming on vast tracts of the char lands during the Kharip-2 season after floods on the riverine areas in recent years.
“After recession of floodwater, sandy soil in char areas becomes more fertile with deposition of alluvial soil making those suitable for cultivating brinjal and other vegetables,” Rashid added. The farmers have planted brinjal saplings on 100 hectares of char lands in the upazila where tender brinjal plants are growing superbly now at the
flowering stage and farmers will start harvesting the crop soon to reap better profits.
Talking to the national news agency, char farmers of the upazila said they are hoping to harvest early varieties of brinjal from September 22 next to get better profits and improve livelihoods and living standard.
“We spend Taka 20,000 for cultivating early varieties of brinjal on one bigha of char land and sell the produce at Taka 80,000 to one lakh to earn a net profit of Taka 60,000 to Taka 80,000,” said farmer Hashem Ali of Char Kurushaferusha in the upazila.
Farmer Pulin Chandra of the village said profit becomes even higher if the climatic conditions and extent of pests’ attacks remain within the tolerable limits. “Side by side with brinjal, we are intercropping early varieties of
vegetables like ‘Lal Shak’, ‘Mula Shak’ and ‘Pat Shak’ on the same land to earn additional profits of Taka 5,000 to Taka 7,000 per bigha of land,” Pulin added.
Farmers Monser Ali and Dhirendra Nath of Char Chawrabari village said they are earning Taka 60,000 to Taka 70,000 excluding farming costs by cultivating early varieties of brinjal on one bigha of land annually. Sharecroppers Siddikur Rahman and Musa Hossain of the same village said they have cultivated early varieties of brinjal on one bigha of char land each after taking those lands on lease at Taka 10,000 per bigha of land this time.
“We are expecting to earn Taka 50,000 as net profit per bigha of land after completing harvest of early varieties of brinjal by October 15 next,” Musa added.
Talking to BSS, Deputy Director at Rangpur regional office of the DAE Agriculturist Md. Moniruzzaman said hundreds of farmers have attained self- reliance by cultivating early varieties of vegetables on char lands at this period in recent years.
‘Cultivation of early varieties of brinjal is increasing every year on char lands in the region, including Phulbari upazila of Kurigram, following repeated bumper production and lucrative prices of the produce in recent times,” he added.
https://english.dainiksomoysangbad24.com/2019/09/09/govt-plans-to-upgrade-all-highways-into-four-lanes-quader-tells-js/
(BSS)
