RANGPUR, Sept 12, 2020 (BSS) – Farmers are happy getting lucrative market
price of ginger as harvest of the spicy crop cultivated during the Kharif-1
season continues in full swing in Rangpur agriculture region.
Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said farmers
are getting better market price and expecting an excellent production of
ginger in the region despite a little shortfall in attaining the fixed
farming target this time.
“The DAE had fixed a target of bringing 3,360 hectares of land under
ginger cultivation to produce 51,870 tonnes of ginger during the Kharif-1
season for the region,” Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur region
Agriculturist Muhammad Ali told BSS.
Under the intensive of spicy crop farming programme, farmers finally have
cultivated ginger 3,165 hectares of land, 195 hectares less than the fixed
farming target, in all five districts of the region this time.
The farmers have cultivated ginger on 1,145 hectares of land in Rangpur,
305 hectares in Gaibandha, 406 hectares in Kurigram, 370 hectares in
Lalmonirhat and 939 hectares of land in Nilphamari districts of the region.
“The DAE is conducting motivational activities and providing necessary
training and latest technologies to farmers while commercial banks are
providing easy-term agriculture loans to them for enhancing cultivation of
ginger and other spicy crops,” Ali said.
Talking to BSS, farmers Alef Uddin, Khorshed Alam, Abdus Sattar, Nur
Mohammad and Abdul Hakim of different villages in Rangpur Sadar upazila said
they have already began harvesting their cultivated ginger.
Farmers Solaiman Ali, Awal Hossain, Habibur Rahman and Lal Mohammad, Manik
Sarker and Bipul Chandra of Saidpur and Sadar upazilas of Nilphamari district
said they are expecting bumper ginger output this year.
“We are selling newly harvested ginger cultivated during the Kharif-1
season at lucrative rates between Taka 100 and Taka 120 per kg to the local
zinger traders,” said farmer Mohsin Ali of Kathihara village in Rangpur Sadar
upazila.
Retail vegetable trader Hafizur Rahman at City Bazar Market in Rangpur
city said they are selling ginger produced during the last Rabi season at
rates between Taka 240 and Taka 260 per kg now.
“The newly harvested ginger during this Kharif-1 season is being sold at
rates between Taka 125 and Taka 140 per kg in local markets,” said vegetable
trader Fazlur Rahman at Keranipara Kitchen Market in Rangpur city.
Talking to BSS, Agriculturist Dr Md Abdul Mazid, who got the Independence
Medal 2018 (food security), lauded the government for taking various steps
through the DAE and other agriculture related organisations to increase
production of spicy crops.
“There is an ample opportunity to increase production of ginger and other
spicy crops by bringing fallow lands, including homesteads, across Rangpur
agriculture region under farming of high yielding varieties of the same for
the purpose,” Mazid said.