Buckwheat or bazra is a traditional robi or winter season crop in Bangladesh. It is considered one of the pseudo cereals. There was a time when a good quantity of buckwheat was cultivated in the northern region of the country. Later, the production dropped significantly. Lack of knowledge about the value of nutrition was one reason. Another reason was poor marketing. The interest in cultivating the crop has now been growing. Farmers are now more aware of the commercial value of the crop.
Buckwheat is enormously beneficial for health. So, demand for it is also on the rise.
The cultivation of the crop doesn't need fertiliser as it is harvested within 80 or 85 days after sowing seeds.
Buckwheat is termed the royal food in some developed countries. It is being cultivated in Russia, Poland, Romania, China, Japan, Korea, France, India and America.
There is also a good demand for buckwheat rice in Japan and Saudi Arabia. So, the crop has the potential for exports. Foreign currency can be earned by exporting buckwheat rice and honey to different countries. Even the domestic demand is growing as the crop has various medicinal benefits. The crop is helpful in preventing heart disease, diabetes and a number of diseases women suffer from.
A good quality of honey can also be produced from buckwheat flowers. Bangladesh now imports buckwheat mainly from China and India. So, the time has come to promote the farming of buckwheat to meet the domestic demand. The Department of Agriculture Extension needs to take some active measures to address this issue. Farmers should be linked with the market smoothly so that they can sell it at the right price.
Shahed Dulal
Rongpur