Steady production of spicy crops has been seeing an increase and leading to lucrative market prices in the Rangpur agriculture region, making the farmers self-reliant, in the past few years.
Officials of the local Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said farmers of this region now annually produce over 170,000 tons of mainly seven types of spicy crops -- including onion, garlic, coriander, ginger, turmeric, black cumin, and chilli.
Production of these crops increased since the DAE launched the five-year-long “Production, Storage and Distribution of Quality Seeds of Pulses, Oils and Spices at Farmers Level Project” in 2018 in the region.
DAE Deputy Director in Rangpur region and agriculturist Md Moniruzzaman said farmers are reaping benefits from the project and becoming inspired to enhance farming and production of spices.
“This region’s farmers produced 193,000 tons of seven varieties of spicy crops from 27,990 hectares of land during the 2019-2020 seasons, against 173,000 tons from 28,396 hectares of land during the 2018-2019 seasons,” he said.
Of the crops, 80,940 tons of onion were produced from 8,647 hectares of land, 25,890 tons of garlic from 3,452 hectares, 2,124 tons of coriander from 923 hectares, 51,870 tons of ginger from 3,250 hectares, 18,062 tons of turmeric from 4,200 hectares, and 14,954 tons of chilli from 7,457 hectares of land during the 2019-2020 season.
Production of spicy crops stood at 170,000 tons during 2017-2018, over 173,000 tons during 2016-2017, over 176,000 tons during 2015-2016, over 169,000 tons during 2014-2015, and over 151,000 tons during 2013-2014 seasons.
“Yield of 209,000 tons of these spicy crops is expected from 29,522 hectares of land in five districts -- Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari -- during the 2020-2021 seasons,” Moniruzzaman said.
After getting assistance under the project in terms of training, technologies, inputs and quality seeds to set up exhibition plots, farmers are showing more interests in expanding cultivation of such spicy crops.
The agriculture-related departments and organizations are assisting farmers to increase the production of spicy crops adopting proper crop diversification, land management and latest technologies to meet local demand and reduce dependency on import.
“Disbursement of easy-term agriculture loans among farmers and motivational activities are also inspiring them in the cultivation of spicy crops,” Moniruzzaman said.
A number of farmers from different villages in Rangpur Sadar upazila said they got repeated bumper production and lucrative prices of spicy crops in recent years.
Agriculturist Dr Md Abdul Mazid, who was given the Swadhinata Padak or Independence Award in 2018 for his contribution in food security, lauded the government for taking various pragmatic steps to increase the production of spicy crops.
He also suggested that farmers should bring fallow lands, including homesteads, under the farming of high yielding varieties of spicy crops by adopting latest technologies to further increase production and reap more profits across the Rangpur agriculture region.
