Gopalganj, Magura, Panchagarh growers eye bumper wheat output

GOPALGANJ, Feb 27: Farmers of Mahespur union under Muksudpur upazila are excepting a bumper production of BARI wheat-28 variety this season.
According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Gopalganj, official sources said a total of 7,180 hectares of land have been brought under the cultivation of the cereal crop in all the five upazilas of the district with the production target of 28,720 tonnes.
It is mentioned that only 4,100 hectares of land in Muksudpur upazila where production target at 16,400 metric tonnes (MT), sources said.
Gopal Chandra Biswas, sub-assistant agriculture officer of DAE, Mahespur union, said the Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI) supplies the high yielding seeds to the growers.
Dr Md Mosharraf Hossain, upazila agriculture officer, Muksudpur upazila, said BARI wheat-28 is a high yielding variety. Sufficient water and other agi input have been supplies. "We are expecting a high production of the crop", he added.
Meanwhile, our Magura correspondent added: Farmers of the district are expecting to start harvesting wheat within a few weeks.
Farmers' sources said a panic of spreading blast disease was among the farmers. But the panic is over and growers are eying a bumper production this season.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Magura sources said in 2015 blast affected wheat field in 10 districts of south western region including Magura. This caused a negative impact on wheat cultivation in the district in 2016. In 2017, the situation improved as only 52 hectares of land got attacked with the disease.
A total of 4460 hectares of land have been brought under wheat cultivation with the production target of 14718.50 tonnes this season. The DAE took effective measures to control the disease from the beginning of the season. As a result wheat fields across the district are completely free from blast.
Farmer Gorib Ali of Nanduali village under Magura Sadar said he did not cultivate wheat due to blast panic. This year, the DAE officials encouraged me to grow the crop and suggested to apply blast prevention method. "I cultivated wheat according to their suggestion", he added.
A DAE official said blast is a bacteria related disease. It hampers wheat production. Wheat fields in the district are free from the disease this season. "We expect a bumper production of wheat this season."
Meanwhile, BSS adds: In Panchagarh, the DAE is expecting a bumper wheat production in the district during the current season.
DAE sources said 16,500 hectares of land were brought under wheat cultivation during the current season with an output target of 46,200 tonnes.
Of the total land, 8,000 hectares were brought under the cultivation of Prodip variety, 3,500 hectares under Bijoy variety, 3,000 hectares under Sotapdi variety and 2000 hectares under Bari 25 variety.
DAE Deputy Director Md Samchul Huque said wheat cultivation in the district has increase this year in comparison with that of the last year.
The DAE official said farmers' interest in the cultivation of wheat is increasing because of a less production cost of the crop.
Farmer Tariqul Islam of village Sanaher under Debiganj upazila said at least 10 maunds of wheat can be harvested from one bigha of land.
He said the DAE has supplied all necessary seeds, fertilisers, pesticides and other agriculture inputs to the farmers free of cost.