The farmers have produced a record quantity of 10,308 tonnes of pulses during the just-ended Rabi season, higher by about 1,000 tonnes than the previous season, in Rangpur agriculture region.
Officials of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said a target of producing 9,513 tonnes of pulses was fixed from 8,115 hectares of land for all five districts in the agriculture region during the last Rabi season.
However, the farmers cultivated pulses on 8,250 hectares of land exceeding the fixed farming target by 145 hectares of land and produced 10,308 tonnes of pulses higher by 795 tonnes than the fixed production target this time.
"The farmers exceeded the fixed production target of pulses by about 1,000 tonnes this time than the output of 9,317 tonnes during the previous season," said Horticulture Specialist of the DAE at its regional office Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam.
The farmers produced 6,142 tonnes of 'Mashkalai' from 4,899 hectares of land, 284 tonnes of mungbean from 238 hectares, 2,307 tonnes of lentil from 1,928 hectares, 107 tonnes of gram from 60 hectares, 64 tonnes of 'Arhar' from 46 hectares, 1,361 tonnes of 'Khesari' from 1,056 hectares and 43 tonnes of cowpea from 27 hectares land this time in the region, reports BSS.
"The special steps taken by the government, including disbursement of agri-loans at lower interest rates to enhance production of pulses and spice crops, further encouraged the farmers in bringing more lands under cultivation of pulses this time," Islam added.
Deputy Director of the DAE at its regional office Md Moniruzzaman said the agriculture related departments and organisations and banks provided the farmers with training, quality seeds and agri-loans to make the pulses' farming programme successful. "The Rangpur agriculture region, as well as the northern region as a whole, has a great potential to further enhance pulse production by ensuring proper crop diversification, land management and utilisation of the latest technologies," he added.
Rangpur Regional Additional Director of the DAE Md Shah Alam suggested the farmers for large-scale adoption of the mixed and inter-cropping methods of crop cultivation in all seasons to further increase production of pulses.
