JOYPURHAT, Jan 16: With favourable weather prevailing and timely supply of necessary agri-inputs, lentil farmers are expecting abundant output in Joypurhat district this season.
Sources said, Bangladesh Agriculture Department Corporation (BADC) has provided quality seeds among the eager farmers while the crops were being sown.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has also ensured logistic support for the Rabi crop cultivation.
Farmers have shown more interest to bring some new croplands under the farming as they got both plentiful production as well as fair market price last year, said Sub-Assistance Agriculture Officer Azizur Rahman.
Farmers of Panchbibi, Kalai, Khetlal, Akkelpur and Sadar upazilas of vast Barind tract are growing the crops on a large scale as it requires less cultivation and irrigation cost compared to many other Rabi crops, especially paddy. Besides, the farmers can make three times more profit than any other short-duration cereal in the region spending small amount of money. As a result, farming of lentil is increasing gradually in the region with the DAE.
"I have brought some 33 decimal of land under lentil cultivation this season as I got lucrative market price of the crop in the last couple of years," said farmer Abdul Alim under Akkelpur upazila.
The DAE has set a target of producing 700 tonnes of lentil seeds from 1,000 hectares of land in five upazilas of the district this season, said the DAE official.
To grow lentil well, the farmers need to keep the soil wet and moisturised. The peasants are using pesticides to drive the pest away from the cropland.
Deputy Director of DAE Sudhindranath said the growers here are showing more interest in lentil cultivation as it does not need much irrigation cost. Besides, they got abundant production in the last few years.
