The government has taken up a massive plan to foster the cultivation of potato, onion, lentil and mustard across the country during the Robi season in order to ensure the availability of these essentials.
The initiative has been taken keeping in mind the scarcity and high price of vegetables including onion and potato this year, said officials of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE).
They said, farmers of many districts, in the meantime, have already started cultivation of various kinds of Robi crop while farmers in many other districts are set to cultivate potato, onion, lentil and mustard.
According to the DAE official sources, a total of 4,68,526 hectares of land have been brought under potato cultivation while 1 ,80,000 hectares land under onion farming.
Besides, a total of 8,01,569 hectares lands have been brought under lentil cultivation while 7,76,279 hectares under mustard cultivation.
However, rain, flood and other natural disasters have delayed the process of cultivation this year. The farmers are showing great interest in expanding Robi crops cultivation after getting repeated bumper production with excellent price in recent years.
Besides, the DAE officials are encouraging the farmers to cultivate potato, onion, lentil and mustard and giving them training on pest control management.
Moreover, necessary steps have been taken to ensure supply of quality seeds, fertilisers and other agro-inputs among the farmers at fair price for Robi crops production in the current season.
Apart from these, vast tracts of char land on the river bed of the Brahmaputra and the Teesta have been brought under different crops and vegetables cultivation during the Robi season.
DAE officials also said, the cultivation and production targets will be fulfilled effortlessly if there is no untimely rain and low pressure or any natural calamity. In many cases, the yield is expected to be better.
It should be mentioned that cultivation in Bangladesh is dependent on the nature and monsoon. The Robi season is considered to be the winter period in the crop calendar. The season starts from mid-October and ends in March.
DAE Director General Md. Asadullah, said, "It is true that Robi cultivation has started a little late. But the cultivation process is going on in the sunny environment and that is why it will not be a problem.”
Field-level officials of the DAE and farmers said that Robi cultivation is now going on in full swing in many areas. Besides, onion has already been planted in Faridpur, Rajbari and Jessore areas. Although it is a seasonal onion, it will come to the market earlier.
Accordingly, cultivation of onion, wheat, corn and other Robi crops has started in Chattogram.
DAE officials said the weather this year is in favour of Robi crops. Therefore, the production target is expected to be fulfilled this year easily.
Manjurul Huda, an additional director of the DAE, said they are helping farmers by supplying seeds, fertilizers and all the agro-inputs to ensure the production.
“Adequate seeds and fertilizer stocks are available. Seeds of hybrid varieties have been imported from abroad”, he said.
DAE Deputy Director Nasir Uddin said, this year the weather is in the favoure of the Robi crops. Extensive preparations have been made to increase the production of potatoes and onions.
It could further be mentioned that keeping the post-Covid-19 pandemic situation in mind, the government has taken multiple-track initiatives to develop the agriculture sector, so that no scarcity of food will be created in future in Bangladesh.
As part of the initiatives, the government has decided to bring all the uncultivated land under cultivation. Besides, initiatives have been taken so that crops can be cultivated for four times a year on the same piece of land.
Moreover, cultivation of fruits, vegetables and oil-type crops, farming of cattle has also been taken in the initiatives.
Officials at the Ministry of Agriculture and the Department of Agricultural Expansion said that scientific, modern and developed methods and technologies would be applied for these purposes.
The Ministry concerned and the DAE have also decided to provide all kinds of supports to the farmers. With the support, a total of 10,85,15,000 decimal of fallow land would be added to the 85.77 hectares of cultivated land.
Besides, farmers would also be awarded and rewarded considering their performances in the cultivation and production capacity.
Earlier, the government took initiatives to provide various agro-machinery, materials and machinery to farmers at 50 percent of the cost. For the welfare of the farmers across the country, the government is taking a Tk 3,000 crore-project soon.
According to sources, the government has decided to provide the agro-machinery and materials among the farmers as these machinery and materials are costly and not so easy to buy them by the farmers. These agro machineries, materials and equipment would help farmers make their tasks easier and minimize their cost and time.
In the project, tractors, Power Tillers, Threshers, Rippers and Combined Harvesters are among the materials and machinery which would be provided to the farmers across the country. The project would be implemented in 61 districts keeping three hill districts out of the project, said officials concerned.