RANGPUR, Jan 25, 2019 (BSS) – The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE)
is completing distribution of special agriculture incentives worth Taka 12.15
crore among 90,440 small and marginal farmers of Rangpur agriculture region.
Officials of the DAE said the incentives, in terms of seed and fertilisers,
are being distributed among the beneficiary farmers to assist them in
cultivating eight varieties of crops during the 2018-2019 Rabi and Kharip-1
seasons.
“Of those, distribution of agri-incentives for wheat, maize, mustard,
groundnut, BT brinjal and Boro rice crops already completed while
distribution for summer ‘Tiil’ and mungbean will end next month,” said
horticulture specialist of the DAE at its regional office Khondker Md
Mesbahul Islam.
Under the programme, each of the beneficiary farmers is receiving one to
20-kg seed of different crops, 10 to 20-kg Di-ammonium Phosphate (DAP) and
five to 10-kg Muriate of Potash (MoP) fertilisers free of costs to cultivate
crops on one bigha of land.
The incentives are being distributed to assist 19,415 small and marginal
farmers of Rangpur, 18,230 of Gaibandha, 19,925 of Kurigram, 15,425 of
Lalmonirhat and 17,445 farmers of Nilphamari districts.
Deputy director of the DAE at its regional office Md Moniruzzaman said the
government allocated 607.40 tonnes of seed, 1,757.80 tonnes of DAP and 878.90
tonnes of MoP fertilisers for distribution among farmers in the region this
time.
“Of those, 470 tonnes of wheat seed, 82.40 tonnes of maize, 18.50 tonnes of
mustard, six tonnes of groundnut, 2.80 kg of BT brinjal and 7.50 tonnes of
Boro rice seed were already distributed among 85,440 farmers,” he said.
However, distribution of 500 kg of ‘Tiil’ seed and 22.50 tonnes of mungbean
seed among 5,000 farmers will complete in February next.
After getting special agri-incentives, 23,500 small and marginal farmers
have cultivated wheat on 23,500 bighas of land, 41,200 farmers cultivated
maize on 41,200 bighas and 18,500 farmers cultivated mustard on 18,500 bighas
of land.
Besides, 600 farmers have cultivated groundnut on 600 bighas of land, 140
farmers cultivated BT brinjal on 140 bighas and 1,500 farmers cultivated Boro
rice on 1,500 bighas of land in all five districts of the region. “However,
500 farmers will cultivate ‘Tiil’ on 500 bighas of land and 4,500 farmers
will cultivate mungbean on 4,500 bighas of land during the Kharip-1 season
after getting the incentives in February,” Moniruzzaman said.