Around 52,652 hectares of land have been brought under the farming of varieties of vegetable in Sylhet division during the ongoing winter season. The crops include gourd, sweet gourd, radish, bean, tomato, cucumber, red vegetable, potato, pumpkin, cauliflower, cabbage, brinjal, etc.
Cultivation of winter vegetable in the region generally starts from October and it continues to March. Accordingly, a good number of farmers are already busy on their croplands for farming the vegetables, which have an increased demand all over the 4 districts for the last few years.
Already 52,652 hectares of land is brought under the cultivation, officials informed. It included highest 24,515 hectares in Sylhet, 8120 hectares in Moulvibazar, 9,000 hectares in Habiganj and 11,017 hectares in Sunamganj district.
Alongside increasing the crop areas, many farmers are getting involved with modern cultivation by adopting organic fertiliser, setting pheromone trap and other methods, advised by the agriculture officials and scientists, officials said.
Meanwhile, about 3000 poor and marginal farmers were given incentive in the form of seed and fertilisers this season as a portion of the vegetable lands in the region was damaged by early rains and floods, causing much for the farmers in the last year.
Deputy Director of the DAE, Sylhet Md. Abul Hashim said in recent years farmers in good number have brought huge lands under the vegetable farming on new areas like in villages in Biswanath, Kanaighat and Gowainghat upazilas and Tukerbazar, Kamalbazar, Lalabazar and Rakhalganj of Moglabazar and Dakshin Surma upozilas. The said crops are also produced on bulk areas in Golapganj upozila's Dakshinbhag, Dhakadakshin, Nimadol, Kotalpur, Lakshmipasha, Bagha etc.
On the other hand, farmers in these areas had also been involved in a big way with the vegetable farming on commercial basis, he added.
Deputy director of DAE, Sylhet divisional office, Dr Mamun Ur Rashid said the farmers in this region especially in Sunamganj and in Habiganj district had come up with much interest for raising vegetable farming. But, they had almost no interest in vegetable farming just years ago. But, the situation is totally different by now as they are cultivating more and more croplands in the region, the official added, the DAE, BADC and other organisations has been extending all out support to the farmers.
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