RANGPUR, May 31, 2023 (BSS) - A bumper production of garlic during the just-
ended Rabi season with all-time high market price of the essential spicy
commodity have made farmers cheerful in Rangpur agriculture region.
 
Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said a target of
producing 29,555 tonnes of garlic was fixed from 3,645 hectares of land for
all five districts in the region during the last Rabi season.
 
However, farmers cultivated garlic on 3,366 hectares of land, less by only
279 hectares of land against the fixed farming target, across the region.
 
"After completing harvest recently, farmers got a bumper production of 27,737
tonnes of garlic at the average yield rate of 8.24 tonnes per hectare of
land," said Additional Director of DAE for Rangpur region Agriculturist Md
Aftab Hossain.
 
The DAE and other agriculture-related departments, institutions and
organizations extended necessary assistance and latest technologies and
commercial banks easy-term agri-loans to farmers to make the garlic farming
program a success.
 
"After getting repeated bumper production with rewarding market prices of
garlic in recent years, farmers are showing keen interest in expanding
farming of the spicy crop," Hossain said.
 
Talking to BSS, farmer Md. Anwar Hossain of Char Paschim Mohipur village in
Gangachara upazila of Rangpur said he cultivated garlic in char land on the
dried-up Teesta riverbed and got a bumper production this time.
 

Farmer Aiyub Ali, Mohsin Ali and Khairul Islam of different villages in
Mominpur union of Rangpur Sadar upazila said they cultivated garlic on their
croplands and got excellent output and rewarding price this season.
 
Talking to BSS today, Deputy Director at Burirhat Horticulture Centre in
Rangpur of the DAE Agriculturist Md. Abu Sayem appreciated the government for
taking realistic steps through the DAE and other organizations to increase
production of spicy crops.
 
"Responding to the call of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to bring every inch
of land under crop farming, farmers are cultivating spicy crops, including
garlic, in more lands this time to further increase production," he said.
 
Deputy Director of the DAE for Rangpur Agriculturist Md. Obaidur Rahman
Mondal said farmers are showing more interest in farming garlic adopting the
zero tillage method on the same land after harvesting Aman paddy.
 
Soil moisture of the paddy fields help farmers in sowing garlic seeds by
adopting the zero tillage method in increasing production by saving costs of
labor and irrigation and reap more profits.
 
"The DAE and other agriculture-related organizations are working to
popularize the zero tillage garlic farming method among farmers to enhance
its production in the region," Mondal added.
 
Retail vegetable trader Md Fazlur Rahman at Keranipara Kitchen Market in
Rangpur city today told BSS that farmers are selling their locally produced
garlic at rates between Taka 5,600 and Taka 5,800 per mound (every 40 kgs) to
wholesalers.
 
Wholesalers are selling locally produced garlic at rates between Taka 6,000
and Taka 6,400 per mound or Taka 150 and Taka 160 per kg to retailers in the
city.
 
"On the other hand, retailers are selling locally produced garlic at rates
between Taka 7,000 and Taka 7,200 per mound or between Taka 175 and Taka 180
per kg on an average depending on the size and quality," Rahman said.