Domestic cassava cultivation to reduce import dependency

A farmer in Panchagarh has started cultivating the foreign crop cassava as part of the Department of Agricultural Extension’s (DAE) tuber crop production expansion promotional project.

In order to achieve self-sufficiency in crop production, reduce import dependency, and promote the export of agricultural products, the DAE is currently working to commercialise and diversify agriculture by promoting tuber crop production.

Cassava is a type of tuber crop much like potatoes, sweet potatoes, arum, and yam. These crops are rich in carbohydrates, mainly starch, and are used as a staple food or supplementary food. However, cassava is not traditionally cultivated in this country.

Cassava is also used as raw material for various production industries, including pharmaceutic and bakery products. The soil and climate of the district are suitable for cassava cultivation, according to experts.

According to the DAE, cassava has bright export prospects as it is a popular staple food in many countries and is also in demand as a raw material in the pharmaceutical industry.

Golam Mostafa, a farmer from the Tepriganj union of Panchagarh’s Debiganj upazila, has started cultivating cassava experimentally on 20 bighas of land. This is the first commercial cultivation endeavour of cassava in the Rangpur division.

Golam began farming cassava as it can be cultivated on fallow and infertile land and hoping for a good profit.

“With the support of the upazila agricultural office, I started cultivating cassava following disease-free and pest-free farming methods. I hope to make a good profit with the harvest,” he said.

Many others have shown interest in cassava farming as it needs a little maintenance. The root vegetable is cost-effective and can be cultivated on barren lands.

Debiganj Upazila Agriculture Officer Shafiar Rahman said the country is now self-sufficient in nutritious food production; so the DAE has decided to expand tuber crop production.

“Agriculture department is assisting in cassava and other tuber crop cultivation to fulfil the nutrition needs of the country. We want to reduce our import dependency and increase export opportunities by giving importance to the production of non-traditional crops by diversifying agriculture,” he said.

Shafiar also said the demand for cassava among tuber crops is high in the country. Every year about 3.5 lakh tonnes of cassava are imported and only two per cent of the demand is cultivated domestically.

“Our country has advanced significantly in grain crop production and we are now less import dependent. Increasing the production of exportable non-traditional agricultural products in a planned way now will add a new dimension to the use of unused land, economic development and export trade,” he said adding that this is another step towards prosperity for the country.