Wheat harvest nearing completion in Rangpur region

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RANGPUR, April 04, 2019 (BSS) – Harvesting of wheat is nearing completion
now with excellent yield rate despite a shortfall in the fixed farming target
in five districts under Rangpur agriculture region.

Officials of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said a target of
producing 78,418 tonnes of wheat from 23,763 hectares of land was fixed for
the region during the current Rabi season.

“However, farmers have finally cultivated wheat on 19,810 hectares of land,
3,953 hectares or 16.64 percent less than the fixed farming target of the
crop this time,” said Horticulture Specialist of the DAE at its regional
office Khondker Md. Mesbahul Islam.

Of them, farmers have cultivated wheat on 1,610 hectares of land in
Rangpur, 3,230 hectares in Gaibandha, 8,200 hectares in Kurigram, 1,440
hectares in Lalmonirhat and 5,330 hectares of land in Nilphamari districts of
the region this season.

Farmers have already completed harvest of wheat on 16,967 hectares of land,
85.65 percent of the total land in the region.

“The farmers have so far produced 54,415 tonnes of wheat with an average
yield rate of 3.21 tonnes per hectare in the region,” Islam said.

He said the fixed target of wheat farming could not be achieved following
expanded cultivation of maize on more land as farmers got repeated bumper
production and lucrative price of maize in recent years.

Islam said the market price of newly harvested wheat stands at Taka 25 per
kg now on an average.

Talking to BSS, farmers Manik Mian, Nizamul Haque, Sunil Kumar, Azgar Ali
and Farhad Hossain of different villages here said they already completed
harvest of high yielding wheat varieties and got yield rates between 3.18 and
3.30 tonnes per hectare.

“We are showing more interest in maize farming for its better yield rate
and lucrative price with huge demand in local markets. So, wheat farming is
decreasing now,” said farmer Arif of village Najirdigar here.

Deputy Director of the DAE of regional office Md. Moniruzzaman said
farmers are getting better yield rate of wheat despite shortfall in the
farming target adding that harvest of the crop would complete by the next
week in the region.