MAGURA, Jan 22: BINA China-4 peanut is turning fortune wheel of landless char people.
BINA (Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture) Magura sources informed, cultivation of BINA China-4 peanut is gaining popularity among char farmers.
Agriculturist Dr Abul Kalam Azad is the originator of BINA China-4 peanut. Char land is suitable for the variety of peanut cultivation. This variety is high productive. Production of BINA China-4 variety is 2.5 tonnes per hectare as against two tonnes in common variety.
Cultivation of BINA China-4 peanut is short durable. Harvesting of China - 4 peanut takes only 100 days while 120 days in common variety. At the same time cultivation of the variety requires less fertiliser and insecticides compared to that in common variety. Consequently production cost of BINA China-4 variety is low.
Magura BINA official Shushan Chouhan said, farmers especially in Char area are showing high interest in cultivating BINA China - 4 peanut cultivation. We are working to encourage farmers in cultivating this peanut. This season we have distributed the peanut seeds among 20 farmers at free cost. Moreover we shall give them 50 per cent subsidy in fertiliser and insecticides cost for the cultivation. Moreover every day we provide at least 10 peanut farmers with proper advice physically or by mobile phone.
Khadem Ali, a farmer of village Kamlapur under Sreepur upazila of Magura said, last year I brought two bighas of land in Gorai river char under BINA China-4 peanut cultivation and earned Tk 60,000 as profit. This year I have extended my peanut cultivation and now I am growing peanut in four bighas of land. I am expecting Tk 0.1 million and 20,000 as my profit.
Belal Mian of village Khaleshpur under Moheshpur upazila of Jhenidah district said, this season at least 50 farmers in this upazila are cultivating this peanut. This year I have brought five bighas of land under the peanut cultivation and I am expecting profit of Tk 0.15 million. In the mean time I have got seeds from Magura BINA at free cost.
When contacted, Shafiqur Rahman, executive director of Palli Prokriti ( an agriculture based NGO) said, BINA China -4 peanut cultivation is gaining popularity among char farmers of three districts respectively Magura, Jhenidah and Rajbari.
At present about 500 farmers in the three districts are cultivating this peanut and most of them are landless. If proper plan is adopted to expand BINA China -4 peanut cultivation a good number of landless char farmers can improve their condition.
