RANGPUR, Dec 08, 2018 (BSS) – The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has fixed a target of producing 10,395 tonnes of pulses on 8,540 hectares of land in all five districts of Rangpur agriculture region during the current Rabi season.
“Sowing of pulse seed continues in full swing in the region to increase production for meeting nutrition of the population by locally produced pulses,” Horticulture Specialist of the DAE at its regional office agriculturist Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam told BSS today.
The farmers have already sowed pulse seed on 2,217 hectares of land or about 26 percent of the fixed farming target till Friday in the region where the tender plants of the crop are growing superbly amid favourable climatic conditions.
The fixed target include production of 2,792 tonnes of lentil from 2,148 hectares of land, 76 tonnes gram from 60 hectares, 5,683 tonnes ‘Mashkalai’ from 4,899 hectares, 356 tonnes of mungbean (winter) from 274 hectares, 1,373 tonnes of ‘Khesari’ from 1,056 hectares, 32 tonnes cowpea from 29 hectares and 83 tonnes of ‘Arhar’ from 74 hectares of land.
The DAE and other agriculture related departments, organisations and banks are providing training, quality seed, latest technologies and inputs to the farmers to make the pulse farming programme successful this season.
“Besides, the government has taken special steps like disbursement of easy-term agri-loans to the farmers to encourage them in bringing more land under cultivation of pulses to enhance production this season,” Islam added.
Deputy Director of the DAE at its regional office agriculturist Md Moniruzzaman said a tremendous potential is prevailing in the northern region to increase pulse production utilising latest technologies, proper crop diversification and land management.
“The nation may achieve self- reliance on pulse in the near future as the farmers are showing their keen interests in expanding cultivation of pulses as highly profitable crops both on the main land and char areas across the country,” he added.
He specially suggested the farmers for large-scale adoption of the mixed and inter-cropping methods of crop farming to further increase production of pulses in all seasons round the year in the region.
Predicting bumper production of pulses this season in the region, Regional Additional Director of the DAE agriculturist Md Shah Alam said the country has a huge potential to further enhance output of pulses through increasing its cultivation.