Rangpur chilli growers happy over good yield, market price

RANGPUR, Jan 18: A good yield and satisfactory price of chilli have brought smile on the face of the farmers at different char areas under Kawnia upazila in Rangpur district.
The chilli growers of the upazila are now delighted as they are making handsome profit by selling the produce during the current season.
Encouraged by low production cost and easy farming process a good number of farmers in different char areas including Char Prannath, Char Nazirdaho, Char Pallimari, Char Chatura, Char Arajihorisswar,  Char dhusmara, Char Rajib, Char Pajorvanga, Char Goani, Char Bishwanath have cultivated it on their land this season.
Jahangir Alam, a farmer of Char Prannath village in the upazila told FE that he cultivated chilli on two bighas of land this season and earned a profit of TK 40,000 so far.  He said presently the price of the chilli is higher compared to the production cost as it is being sold at Tk 1,900 to Tk 2,100 per maund.
Abdul Hai, another farmer of Char Nazirdaho village said, he has earned Tk 20,000 so far by selling chili cultivated on 1 bigha of land this season. He is optimistic of earning more profit during the remaining part of the season.
Agriculture officer of DAE Kawnia upazila Mahabubar Rahman said, cultivation of chili is easier and less costly compared to other crops and the growers get good profit from it by selling it in the market. Its cultivation is more lucrative than other crops. For this reason more farmers in the char areas are getting interested in its cultivation and its cultivation is increasing in recent times, he added.
Technical education stressed
A BSS report says: Mayor of Rangpur City Corporation (RCC) and valiant freedom fighter Alhaj Sharfuddin Ahmed Jhantu has stressed for spreading and popularising technical educations to attain sustainable national development.
He was addressing the inaugural ceremony of the private sector technical educational institution of Engineers' Institute of Technology (EIT) at Guptapara area of Ward no-5 in the city.
RCC Councilor Mokhlesur Rahman Tarun, President of EIT Nazmul Alam Nazu and its General Secretary Nazmul Haque Mantu attended the ceremony as the special guests with Principal of EIT AKM Farhan Shakil in the chair.
In his speech, the RCC Mayor hoped that the newly launched EIT would definitely be able to produce expert and skilled engineers, planners and architects who will work for building a developed digitised Bangladesh.
He called upon the authorities of the EIT for turning Rangpur into a city of quality education with international standards at all levels including vocational, technical and medical sectors through cooperation of all concerned people.
Terming information and communication technology (ICT) - based science education as the key to success, the RCC Mayor emphasised for creating adequate opportunities for the younger generations in building a time-befitting advanced nation for the 21st century.