Record wheat production is likely in the northern region during this year’s Rabi season, as the tender plants are growing excellent.
Official sources said enthusiastic farmers exceeded their wheat farming target given the reduced costs and added benefits from the cultivation of wheat.
The farmers of the region have already brought 2.66 lakh hectares of land under wheat cultivation, officials in the Department of Agriculture Extension said.
Horticulture Specialist of DAE Khandaker Md Mesbahul Islam said the farmers had been achieving repeated bumper wheat production with lucrative prices over recent years and would continue sowing seeds till the end of this month even after exceeding the farming target.
According to the DAE sources, the government fixed a target of producing over 8.13 lakh tonnes of wheat from 2.66 lakh hectares of land this season for the northern region, commonly known as the country’s food granary.
The fixed wheat production target for the region is about 63.50% of the total national production target of 12.81 lakh tonnes from 4.20 lakh hectares land this season.
The DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute and different agriculture- related organisations have taken adequate steps to make the wheat farming programme successful.
Regional Additional Director of the DAE Sikander Ali said quality wheat seeds, latest technology, training, fertiliser and other input was provided to the farmers to achieve the production target.
Over recent years, farmers are getting excellent production of high yielding BARI Gom 26, Pradip, Bijoy, Protiva, Sotabdi, Sourav, Gaurab, Swarna and other wheat varieties using the latest conservation agriculture (CA)-based technologies, he said.
Associate Director Agriculture of BRAC International (South Asia and Africa) Dr M A Mazid said expanded cultivation of high yielding varieties adopting the latest CA-based technologies has started increasing wheat production.
Large-scale adoption of the CA-based technologies would further increase yields of all cereal crops including wheat at reduced expenses, saving a huge number of seeds, irrigation water, power and fuel to ensure food security amid climate change impacts, he added.
Farmers Abdul Haque, Ayub Ali, Ivy Begum and Abdul Mannan of Mominpur village here said they had been showing more interest in profitable wheat farming which fetched better profits than rice cultivation.
