Sunflower cultivation has started on a commercial basis in Magura. Many farmers in the district are now seeing success in cultivation of it as a new crop.
According to Magura office of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), farmers of the district are being encouraged to cultivate the land under the agriculture development project in greater Kushtia and Jashore areas.
The cultivation has already started in 6 districts including greater Jashore and Magura. After providing training to the farmers from the district agriculture office for this cultivation, seeds and fertilizers have been distributed to them at free price.
Sunflower cultivation has become popularas a new crop in the district. Already many farmers have shown interest in this cultivation. Last year, sunflower was cultivated in 2 hectares of land in the district. The District Department of Agricultural Extension is working to determine the field for the exhibition of technology spread of oil crops.
The cultivation is being done in Rautara and Sachani villages of MaguraSadar. Block supervisors and field workers of the agriculture department have been regularly monitoring the exhibition fields. Moreover, they are cooperating in all possible ways with proper advice to the field level farmers of the district.
Momin Laskar, a sunflower farmer said, “Moniruzzaman, the block supervisor of the district agriculture department, first inspired me in this cultivation. At his suggestion I started this cultivation with training from the Department of Agriculture. They gave me seeds and fertilizer for free. I started cultivating sunflower on 33 decimal of land. I am cultivating this crop for the first time. I hope the yield will be good. I have seen many farmers in the village are interested in cultivating it.”
Nazrul Islam, another farmer from Sachani village in Sadar, said, “I am cultivatingsunflower for the first time with the overall cooperation of the agriculture department. I have done this cultivation on 33 decimal of land." I hope the yield will be good'.
Magura Agriculture Extension Department Deputy Director Sushanto Kumar Pramanik said “Sunflower cultivation has started in the district as a new oil crop. This time sunflower has been cultivated in 4 hectares of land in the district. The cultivation has been done on one hectare in Sadar, one hectare in Shalikha, one hectare in Mohammadpur and one hectare in Sreepur. We have encouraged field level farmers in the district to cultivate sunflower as a new crop. Besides, after providing them training in this cultivation, we have distributed seeds and fertilizers free of cost.”
“As an oil crop, sunflower has many nutritional properties. Edible sunflower oil enhances immunity. This oil is anti-cancer, anti-heart disease. Moreover, sunflower oil contains vitamins A, D, E and cholesterol levels are very low. So we are encouraging the farmers of the district to cultivate this,” he added.