Modern techniques help boost khesari farming in Dhunot

Our Correspondent

BOGRA, Mar 08: Khesari cultivation is going on in full swing in Dhunot upazila of the district.

Sources said plants of the pulse are growing well amid a favourable weather. Growers across the district are expecting a bumper production.

"I have cultivated khesari pulse on 75 decimals of land spending Tk 12,000 this season," said farmer Khadem Ali of Bashahkhi Char.

To grow the plus on a bigha of land farmers need about six to seven kg of quality seed. The crop farming requires no chemical fertilisers. Farmers sometimes spray pesticide to save the crop from the pest attack.

A good number of farmers said some five to six maunds of crop could be produced from a bigha of land this season. Cultivators may earn Tk 20,000 to Tk 22,000 from a bigha of land.

Growers are applying modern technology on the khesari farm. Khesari plants are useful. They are used as fodder. Dry khesari plants help boost milk production of milch cattle.

Sub-assistance agriculture officer of DAE Abdus Sobhan said over 200 hectares of land have been brought under the farming of khesari this season.

Meanwhile, BSS adds: In Manikganj, farmers in all seven upazilas of the district are showing interest in cultivating different varieties of pulses due to favorable weather and reasonable prices of their products.

The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources said cultivation of various kinds of pulses including pea, lentil, mung bean and khesari are exceeding target every year.

Deputy director of DAE Md Habibur Rahman said the target of cultivation of Khesari was fixed on 3,074 hectares of land in all seven upazilas of the district with a production target 3,702 tones during the current season, but 3,702 hectares of land was cultivated. The cultivation target of Mug and Motor were fixed at 75 and 381 hectares in the district respectively, but 146 hectares and 413 hectares were cultivated.

The vast char area of Harirampur and Daulatpur Upazila of the district was brought under maskolai cultivation and the cultivators got a good return, the sources said.

A total of 8,591 hectares of land was brought under maskalai cultivation in the district, where as lentil was cultivated in 1,000 hectares of land in the district. The sources said mashkalai was cultivated on 4,250 hectares and 3136 hectares of land alone in Daulatpur and Harirampur upazilas of the district.

DAE office sources said once Manikganj district was known as the Mashkalai and Khesari producing area, but massive cultivation of Boro occupied those places.

Mohsin uddin, one of the khesari cultivators of Harukandi under Harirampur upazila said Boro cultivation needs much irrigation, but khesari does not need that much. He said, "We are getting reasonable prices of our products."

Billal Hossain of Charkatari village of Daulatpur upazila opined the same. The waste of khesari and maskalai are favorite fodder of cattle, the farmer added. Besides pulses grow better than Boro as most of char areas are sandy.