RANGPUR, Apr 04: A good yield of wheat has made the growers of Rangpur division delighted during the current season.
Farmers and DAE officials have attributed the achievement to congenial weather condition, timely supply of agri-inputs and efforts by the department.
According to DAE official sources harvesting of the crop is going on in eight districts of the two agriculture regions under the division this season.
DAE set target to produce around 88,731 tonnes of wheat from 26,487 hectares of land in five districts of Rangpur agriculture region and more than 3.98-lakh tonnes of wheat from around 0.11 million hectares of land in three districts under Dinajpur agriculture region.
At present wheat is being sold between Tk 820 to Tk 850 per maund at different local markets of the region and the price is expected to rise further.
Hafizul Mia of Nazirdaho village under Kawnia upazila told this correspondent that he cultivated wheat on one acre of land instead of Boro paddy this season and harvested 40 maunds of wheat and sold it at Tk 840 per maund.
Ariful, another wheat grower at Shukurerhat area under Mithapukur upazila in Rangpur district said, cultivation of wheat needs only three times irrigation and it is less costly than paddy farming.
Production cost of wheat on 1 bigha of land is Tk 7000 to Tk 8,000 whereas it needs about Tk 11000 to Tk 12000 to cultivate Boro paddy on 1 bigha of land, he added.
A good number of wheat growers of the region said wheat cultivation needs low cost and brings better return while they are unable to recover the production cost of the paddy in recent years, they added.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Rangpur official sources said that smooth supply of water and agri-inputs such as fertilisers and pesticides boosted wheat cultivation in the region during the current season.
