Photo: BSS

RANGPUR, Oct 21, 2025 (BSS) – The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has fixed a target of producing over 11,19,893 tonnes of winter vegetables from 42,130 hectares of land for the Rangpur agricultural region the (2025-2026) Rabi season.  
  
During the last (2024-2025) Rabi season, farmers produced 10,39,699 tonnes of winter vegetables from 39,742 hectares of land in all five districts of Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari under the region.
 
Meanwhile, the government has already taken ample steps like distribution of special incentives, high quality seeds and fertilizers among farmers to make the intensive winter vegetables’ farming programme successful in the division this season.
 
The DAE, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture, Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation and other organizations will supply quality seeds, agri-inputs and provide technical assistance to farmers. 
 
The commercial banks including Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank and some NGOs will disburse easy-term agriculture loans among farmers to make the winter vegetable farming programme a success. 
 
Talking to BSS, Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur region Agriculturist Md Sirajul Islam said farmers are showing interest in farming winter vegetables on more land area after getting repeated bumper productions with fair prices in recent years. 
 
“Farmers are continuing cultivation of winter vegetables and have already sowed seeds on 5,565 hectares of land after harvesting short duration Aman rice to start harvesting early varieties of the vegetables from the next month to reap better profits,” he said. 
 
Farming of winter vegetables will get full momentum soon when harvest of the traditional varieties of Aman rice will continue in full swing from the third week of November in the division. 
  
Md Mamunur Rashid, a PhD Fellow in the Department of Agricultural Extension at Dinajpur Haji Mohammad Danesh University of Science and Technology, said farmers are expected to bring more land under cultivation of winter vegetables this season.
 
Many farmers started farming early varieties of winter vegetables soon after the recession of floodwater from their submerged croplands in the low-lying and char areas from the first week of September in all five districts of the region this year.
  
“As a result, some of the early varieties of winter vegetables have already appeared in local markets following early cultivation of those by farmers under newer cropping patterns that evolved in accordance with changing climatic conditions,” Rashid added. 
  
Farmers Nur Alam, Mohammad Ali, Azizar Rahman and Narayan Chandra and Afzal Hossain of village Ranipukur in Rangpur said they have already sowed seeds of early winter vegetables after harvesting short duration varieties of Aman rice.
 
Farmers Abdur Rahman and Saiful Islam of village Satvita and Mahbubur Rahman and Abu Bakker of village Noyagram in Kurigram said they have already cultivated early varieties of winter vegetables after the recession of floodwater.
 
All the farmers interviewed expect to start harvesting early-season winter vegetables in their fields from the third week of November and earn more profits.