Crop harvest continues on riverbeds in Rangpur region

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RANGPUR, April 2, 2018 (BSS) – Harvesting of different crops cultivated on the dried-up riverbeds and char lands on the Brahmaputra basin under Rangpur agriculture region continues in full swing with excellent yield rate this season.

Officials of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) and the people living on the char and riverside areas are expecting to get bumper production after completing harvest of the crops before commencement of the rainy season.

“The farmers have already completed harvesting mustard, wheat, tobacco, groundnut and pumpkin and got bumper output when harvest of other crops continues on these lands,” Horticulture Specialist of the DAE at its regional office Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam said.

The char and riverside people have brought over 86,000 hectares of these lands under crop cultivation in all five districts of Rangpur, Gaibandha Lalmonirhat, Kurigram and Nilphamari districts under Rangpur agriculture region this season.

“The farmers have mostly cultivated Boro rice, onion, garlic, chili, maize, wheat, vegetables, pumpkin, groundnut, ‘kawn’, pulses, ‘gunji till’, tobacco, pulses, oil seed, watermelon and other crops on these lands,” Islam added.

Talking to BSS, farmers Nur Islam, Anwar Hossain, Mahbub Alam and Kobiza Khatun of village Paschim Mohipur under Gangachara upazila in Rangpur said they were getting excellent production by harvesting different crops this season.

Char dwellers Baker Mian of village Char Montola, Sohrab Ali of Char Korai Barisal, Abdul Halim of Char Goynar Patal under Chilmari upazila in Kurigram said they were getting excellent crop yield this year.

Similarly, farmers Abdul Aziz of village Char Dakshin Kharibari in Nilphamari and Dudu Mian of village Char Khuniagachh in Lalmonirhat also informed about getting bumper output of various crops this season.

“After completing harvest of some crops, the char people are now harvesting Boro rice and other crops and getting excellent yield this time,” said Nurul Amin Sarker of village Machabandha in Chilmari upazila of Kurigram.

Deputy Director of the DAE at its regional office Md Moniruzzaman said crop cultivation on these lands has become possible due to drying- up and silting-up of the rivers with continuous emergence of shoals on their beds over the decades.

“Though the farmers are getting excellent crop production from the dried-up riverbeds and char lands and improving their livelihoods, it would be better to reviving water flows in the rivers round the year for better environment, bio-diversity and ecology,” he added.