Farmers are happy getting excellent yield of summer vegetables with lucrative market price as its harvest continues in full swing in Rangpur agriculture region.
Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said all varieties of summer vegetables have appeared abundantly in local markets and a huge quantity of the produce is being sent to the capital city and other parts of the country.
Earlier, the DAE had fixed a target of producing over 5,94,380 tonnes of summer vegetables from 31,395 hectares of land for all five districts in Rangpur agriculture region during the Kharif-1 season. "Farmers have finally cultivated summer vegetables on 27,540 hectares of land, less by 3,855 hectares of land against the fixed farming target in the region," said Additional Director of DAE for Rangpur region Agriculturist Md. Emdad Hossain Sheikh.
Farmers have cultivated summer vegetables on 10,700 hectares of land in Rangpur, 5,350 hectares in Gaibandha, 4,035 hectares in Kurigram, 5,030 hectares in Lalmonirhat and 2,425 hectares in Nilphamari districts in the region this time.
Meanwhile, farmers have already harvested summer vegetables on 22,465 hectares of land and produced 3,96,810 tonnes of vegetables at an excellent average yield rate of 17.66 tonnes per hectare of land.
"The DAE and other agriculture related organizations and institutes, commercial banks and NGOs supplied quality seeds, inputs, agri-loans and assistance to farmers to make the intensive summer vegetables cultivation programme a success this season," Hossain said. "Farmers are cultivating vegetables on more lands every year after getting repeated bumper production with lucrative market prices and many of them have achieved self-reliance from farming vegetables thrice annually in the last 13 years," Hossain added.
Senior Coordinator (Agriculture and Environment) of RDRS Bangladesh Agriculturist Mamunur Rashid said farming of vegetables on crop lands, homesteads and char areas has become a profitable scheme for farmers.
"As the harvesting process continues with excellent yield rates, a bumper production of summer vegetables cultivated during the Kharif-1 season is likely in all five districts of Rangpur agriculture region this time," he said.
Farmers Lokman Hossain, Nurul Amin and Badsha Miah of different villages in Rangpur expressed satisfaction over excellent output of summer vegetables and fair prices.
Vegetable trader Hafizur Rahman at Rangpur City Bazar said farmers are currently selling different varieties of summer vegetables at rates between Taka 24 and Taka 45 per kg on an average to the middlemen from their croplands in rural areas.
"However, the retail prices are higher by Taka 5 to Taka 15 per kg in local markets as some vegetables are being perished during transportation and marketing processes," Rahman added.
Rangpur Chamber President Mostafa Sohrab Chowdhury Titu said the agriculture sector has factually kept the wheels of rural economy moving forward despite the Ukraine War amid the Covid-19 pandemic situation.
"Setting up an adequate number of agro-based industries has become crucial to process produced vegetables round the year and enhance export for benefiting growers and earning foreign exchange to further strengthen the economy," Titu added.
