DAE eyes 1.37m tonnes of winter veg production in Rangpur division

RANGPUR, Nov 13 (BSS): The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has fixed a target of producing 1.37 million tonnes winter vegetables from 66,114 hectares of land in Rangpur division this season.
Officials of the DAE said steps have been taken to make the intensive winter vegetables' farming programme successful by providing necessary assistance to farmers of all eight districts in the division.
The DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute, Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation and other organisations are supplying adequate quality seeds, agri-inputs and providing necessary technical assistance to the farmers.
The commercial banks, including Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank and some NGOs are disbursing easy-term agriculture loan among the farmers to make the farming programme a success.
Horticulture Specialist of the DAE at its regional office Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam said farmers are showing interests in farming winter vegetables after getting repeated bumper production with fair price in recent years.
The farmers have started cultivation of winter vegetables and already sowed seezzz on in 15,500 hectares of land after harvesting short duration Aman rice and also started harvesting early varieties of the vegetables.
"Farming of winter vegetables will get full momentum when harvest of traditional variety T-Aman will begin in full swing from the fourth week of November," Islam added.
Meanwhile, early varieties of winter vegetables have already appeared in local markets bringing smiles to farmers with lucrative prices in the beginning of this Rabi season.