Golden Perilla, edible oil, has been introduced and cultivated in Chuadanga recently. Farmers have succeeded in remarkable production this season (August to October) at some villages in Damurhuda Upaizla of Chuadanga district.
It is learnt, this variety of the Perilla seed was taken from South Koria. After experiment at Bangladesh Agriculture University and receiving permission from the concerned authority for plantation of the variety, cultivation has started at field level this year for first time.
So, Department of Chuadanga Agriculture Extension (DAE) has taken a plan to cultivate Perilla through farmers of the area. Many farmers of the areas have cultivated Perilla in their field as trial basis. Farmers of villages Loknathpur, Darshana, Modna and Karpashdanga in Damurhuda upazila of Chuadanga district have been cultivating this edible crop in the field. Abdul Mozid, a farmer of village Modna said, he got seeds of perilla from Upazila Agriculture Office at free of cost. He sowed seeds for germination of saplings of perilla in the month of July. In August he planted saplings of perilla in his field on one bigha of land and after harvesting got 8 mounds of perilla. It may be mentioned here, being new; the cultivation of South Korea origin, in Bangladesh is still at the experimental stage. Many are showing interest to cultivate the crop, it is learnt.
In Bangladesh farmers are cultivating their lands to product three different crops in a year but lands are lying un-cultivation for three months in that summer period. So farmers can cultivate perilla this un-cultivation lying period in the field, sources added.
Umme Atika Mollik Akhi, Nutritionist and Health Educator of Chuadanga Diabetic Center, said perilla contains high level omega-3, fatty acids (50-60 per cent), unsaturated fatty acids over 92 per cents and free of harmful uric acids.
Moniruzzaman, Agriculture Officer of Damurhuda Upazila Agriculture Office, said this department has distributed seeds of perilla among some farmers of the upazila at free of cost. Accordingly the farmers planted saplings of perilla after germination. Agriculture officers of the department gave suggestions and advices on cultivation of perilla regularly.
He also added, after seeing the cultivation methods and demanding in the markets other farmers of the areas are being inspired to cultivate it.
