Bumper production of winter vegetables likely in Khulna

KHULNA, Nov 15 (BSS): Farmers and officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) are expecting a bumper production of winter vegetables in Khulna during the current season.

All varieties of winter vegetables have now flooded local markets as there was an excellent yield rate under favorable climate, officials said.

The DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute and many NGO's have supplied adequate quality seeds, other agro-inputs to the farmers and provided them with necessary technical assistance.

Besides, banks including Khulna Krishi Bank and NGO's have disbursed agriculture loan and interest-free loan among the farmers to make the massive winter vegetables farming programme a success.

The early and continuous harvests of the winter vegetables have also brought smiles to the farmers as they are getting better prices for their produces at the beginning of the season, farmers and market sources said.

The farmers have still been continuing cultivation of winter vegetables after harvesting the early and short duration variety of Aman paddy.

Farming of late variety of winter vegetables will continue further even after the harvest of traditional variety of T-Aman in the region, the DAE officials said.

The DAE has fixed a production target of 1,06,431 tonnes of winter vegetables from 5,458 hectares of land in all nine upazilas and Khulna city area with an average yield rate of 17 tonnes per hectare during the current season.

Talking to BSS, Deputy Director of DAE Kazi Anisuzzaman said that they are expecting a super bumper production of winter vegetables including potato, cauliflower, cabbage during the current season following further reduction of prices of the non-urea fertilisers.