By Dr Aynal Haque
RAJSHAHI, March 24, 2022 (BSS)- Farmers are eyeing good wheat yield because all the farming fields are in excellent condition amid suitable climatic conditions everywhere in the region, including its vast Barind tract, during the upcoming harvesting season.
Currently, most of the farming fields are in the ripening stage and the growers are expected to start harvesting within the end of this month in full swing.
However, some of the farmers have started harvesting the cash crop in limited scale amid satisfactory yield.
Darul Hossain, 47, of Bhatapara village under Godagari Upazila, has cultivated wheat on four and half bighas of land and he's happy over his present farming condition. "We have used less-irrigation for wheat farming compared to Boro paddy farming," he said.
Anwar Hossain, 54, another farmer of Durgapur area, said the condition of wheat farming is good since its farming started in the area due to suitable weather and fertile land this season. He is expecting 12 to 15 mounds of yield from per bigha of land.
Hossain said wheat farming has enhanced this year compared to the previous years as production of the cash crop is less than any other crops.
Another farmer Moinul Haque has attained good yield last year and he's hopeful about expected output this season expressing his thanks to nature. He said there will be no problem in harvesting the food grain crop if suitable climatic conditions prevails until the harvesting is completed.
Haque clarified that some natural disasters like Norwester, hailstorm and thunderbolt are the major threat to the crop.
"We are witnessing outstanding and eye-catching wheat fields everywhere in the region by dint of suitable climatic conditions from the initial stage of the farming," said Sharmin Sultana, Upazila Agriculture Officer in Godagari.
She mentioned that farmers' interests towards wheat farming have been enhanced to a greater extent in the region due to various reasons for the last couple of years. Wheat is one of less-irrigation consuming crops.
Many government and non-government organizations are encouraging farmers towards wheat cultivation in the water-stressed Barind area in order to lessen the gradually mounting pressure on its groundwater level.
More than 12.58 lakh community people of 2.66 lakh households are being motivated towards promoting wheat like water-saving crops with intervention of the 'Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM)' project.
The project is being implemented by DASCOH Foundation in around 1,280 drought-hit villages under 39 Union Parishads and three municipalities of eight upazilas in Rajshahi, Naogaon and Chapainawabganj districts since 2015 supported by Switzerland, said Jahangir Alam Khan, Coordinator of IWRM Project.
He, however, said successful promotion of less-water consuming crops in the Barind area would play a vital role to lessen the gradually mounting pressure on its underground water.
Rajshahi Regional Office of Bangladesh Wheat and Maize Research Institute (BWMRI) has developed 320 demonstration plots on farmers' fields.
Dr Ilias Hossain, Principal Scientific Officer of BWMRI, told BSS that they are promoting some high yielding, heat and drought tolerant and blast disease resistant varieties like Barigom 28, 29, 30 and 33 among the farmers.
He added that the Barigom 33 is the latest variety which is blast disease resistant, zinc-enriched, large grain size and high yielding (20 maunds per bigha).
Meanwhile, more than 4.03 lakh tonnes of wheat are expected to be produced from around 1.33 lakh hectares of land during the current season in all eight districts of the division.
