The government has set a target of producing around 10.3 lakh tonnes of winter vegetables in Khulna and Narsingdi regions.
In Khulna, 8.08 lakh tonnes of vegetables and grains will be be produced on 1.13 lakh hectares of land in four districts of the Khulna Agriculture region during the FY 2023-24.
Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Khulna Zone said, a total of 1,13,004 hectares of land have been cultivated with a fixed production target of 8,79,727 tonnes of winter vegetables in the four districts of Khulna during the current season.
The DAE has set a target to produce 1,89,621 tonnes of winter vegetables and grains from 14,519 hectares of land in Khulna, 2, 61,497 tonnes from 21,848 hectares of land in Bagerhat, 2, 99,509 tonnes from 38,945 hectares of land in Satkhira and 1,29,100 tonnes from 37,692 hectares of land in Narail.
While talking to the news agency, Mohan Kumar Ghosh, additional director of the DAE of Khulna zone, said the farming of Robi crops starts in the winter season and its production completes in the summer season as the duration of Robi season is from November to April.
Farming of most of the seasonal vegetables is completed during the period as the temperature and humidity remains lower than the other period.
Due to the water crisis in summer, farmers have to depend on preserved rain water for cultivation, he said.
Talking to news agency, Amarendra Biswas, the project director of GKBSP of a project of experimental cultivation and exhibition lands at Gopalganj, Khulna, Bagerhat, Satkhira and Pirojpur, said the government has distributed quality seeds and fertilizers as special incentives among the small and marginal farmers to inspire them in expanding the cultivation of Robi crops.
BSS from Narsingdi adds: About 1,50,000 tonnes of winter vegetables will be produced in the district during the current winter season due to good climate conditions.
Deputy Director of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Narsingdi Mohammad Azizur Rahman said if the favorable climate condition is prevailed in the couple of weeks, the above mentioned production would be achieved.
He said some 12,170 hectares of land have been brought under winter vegetables cultivation in six upazilas of the district in the current season.
Officials of DAE encouraged the farmers to cultivate poison free vegetable and imparted knowledge on the bad effects of using pesticides and chemical fertilizers on vegetable fields and also gave them training on pest management.
The DAE has set a target to cultivate poison free vegetables on 1,560 hectares of land in the district. The farmers are now producing poison free vegetables using organic fertilizers instead of chemical fertilizers and poisonous pesticides.
Different types of winter vegetables like bean, brinjal, bottle gourd, radish, tomato, cucumber, portal, pea, lady's finger, kakrol, korala, koida, lal shak palongshak etc grow a plenty in Sadar, Shibpur, Raipura and Belabo upazila of the district.
Narsingdi district, a vegetable surplus area, usually supplies 30 to 40 percent of its production to the capital and other districts after meeting the local demand. A number of poor farmers in different upazilas of the district achieved economic self-reliance through vegetable farming during the last couple of the years.
