Home ›› 13 Apr 2023 ›› Nation
The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has fixed a target of producing 51,407 tonnes of ginger from 3,640 hectares of land for Rangpur agriculture region during the current Kharif-1 season.
“Farmers are sowing ginger seeds and seedlings in full swing in their croplands in all five districts of the region,” said Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur region Agriculturist Md Aftab Hossain.
After repeated bumper production and lucrative prices in recent years, enthusiastic farmers are expanding ginger cultivation in croplands, homesteads and fallow lands every year.
“So far, farmers have sown ginger seeds and seedlings in 928 hectares of land in Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari districts of the region as the process continues,” he added.
The DAE is providing training and the latest technologies to farmers while commercial banks are providing easy-term agriculture loans to them for enhancing the cultivation of ginger and other spicy crops.
Deputy Director of Rangpur DAE Agriculturist Md Obaidur Rahman Mandal said farming of ginger and other spicy crops is increasing every year following various pragmatic steps taken by the government.
“The government is providing quality seeds and training to the farmers to enhance the production of spicy crops ensuring proper crop diversification and utilising the latest technologies to attain self-reliance on locally produced spicy crops,” he said.
Farmers Nurul Amin, Manik Mian, Golam Mohammad and Farhad Hossain of different villages in Rangpur said they are sowing ginger seeds and seedlings in their croplands as well as homesteads and fallow lands this season.
Expressing happiness over the present market price of ginger, farmer Manik Mian said, “We are currently selling ginger cultivated during the last season at Tk 150-165 per kg to local ginger traders and wholesalers.”
Retail vegetable trader Hafizur Rahman at City Bazar Market in Rangpur city said ginger price shoot up last week in the region following its huge demand as seeds for sowing to cultivate the spicy crop during the Kharif-1 season.
“Currently, vegetable retailers are selling ginger at Tk 200-240 per kg in local markets after purchasing the same from wholesalers at Tk 170-200 per kg,” he said.
Deputy Director at Burirhat Horticulture Centre in Rangpur Agriculturist Md Abu Sayem lauded the government for taking pragmatic steps through the DAE and other organisations to increase the production of spicy crops.
Production of ginger and other spicy crops could be increased largely by bringing fallow and barren lands and homesteads under the farming of high-yielding varieties of spicy crops like ginger and turmeric to attain self-reliance.
“Responding to the call of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to bring every inch of land under crop farming, farmers are cultivating spicy crops, including ginger, in more lands this time to further increase production for meeting the local demand,” he added.
