Over 4,500 tonnes of pulses produced in Rangpur agriculture zone

RANGPUR, July 03 (BSS): Five districts under Rangpur agriculture region saw farmers producing 4,585 tonnes of different varieties of pulses in the just-ended Rabi season.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources said the fixed farming target of pulses could not be achieved this time following cultivation of maize, chili and vegetables on more land and almost no crop damage during the rainy season last year.
Horticulture Specialist of the DAE at its regional office Agriculturist Khondker Md. Mesbahul Islam told the news agency that farmers generally bring more land under pulse cultivation when seasonal floods damage Aman rice crop on vast land areas.
"As there were almost no damage to T-Aman rice crop by floods last year, farmers cultivated more profitable crops like maize, chili, vegetables and other crops bringing less land area under pulses farming during the last Rabi season," he said.
However, farmers are very happy getting lucrative price for different varieties of pulses produced by them in Rangpur, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram and Nilphamari districts under the region.
"The DAE had fixed a target of producing 10,395 tonnes of pulses from 8,540 hectares of land in Rangpur agriculture region during the last Rabi season," Islam said.
However, farmers brought 3,631 hectares of land under pulse cultivation, less by 4,909 hectares of land or 57.5 per cent than the fixed farming target in the region.
Accordingly, the fixed production target of pulses fell short by 5,810 tonnes or 56 per cent against 10,395 tonnes of pulses in the region during the last Rabi season.
Additional Deputy Director of DAE for Rangpur region Agriculturist Muhammad Ali said agriculture related departments and organisations provided training, seed, latest technologies and inputs to farmers to make the pulse farming programme successful.
"Besides, the government through different commercial banks disbursed easy-term agri-loans to farmers to encourage them in bringing more land under cultivation of pulses to enhance production during the last Rabi season.
He called for adoption of the mixed and inter-cropping crop cultivation methods to increase production of pulses as profitable crops on the main land and riverine char areas in all seasons to make the nation self-reliant on pulse at its own.