The soil quality and weather of Kurigram has proved highly aspiring for cultivation of the edible oil seed Sunflower. Ulipur Upazila Agriculture department officials have inspired three young friends of the remote char village Baladoba under Begumganj union to cultivate Sunflower of one acre of land. The initiative has already created a huge sensation among local farmers.
Now, the eye-catching beauty of the fully bloomed Sunflowers throughout the vast field is enchanting every passerby. Three young men who have cultivated the Sunflowers in their fields are also happy by watching the smooth growth of the plants and their flowering. They are hoping to get a bumper production of Sunflower seeds after maturing and the harvesting of the flowers.
Upazila Agriculture Office sources informed, the Sunflower oil is very nourishing and enriched with Vitamin 'A'. Sunflower can be grown in fallow, char land without applying of fertiliser and irrigation.
Three young entrepreneurs of Baladoba area- Shahdat Hossain, Osman Ali and Ziaur Rahman, under the supervision of Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officer of the upazila started to cultivate Sunflower commerciall on one acre of fallow land.
Shahadat Ali informed, cultivation of Sunflower is less costly and needs almost no fertiliser and insecticide and even needs less caring. He along with two of his friends have cultivated Sunflower on one acre of land. The growth and production of the flower seeds seems highly inspiring. He, however, worried about the marketing of the produced Sunflower seeds.
Several farmers of the area includig Mijanur, Badsha and Sonju Mollah informed it was beyond their expectation that the Sunflower would be produced in the fallow, char land. They were happy with the production and expressed their interest to cultivate the Sunflowers in their fields next season.
Sajedul Karim, Sub- Assistant Agriculture Officer Sajedul Karim said, three friends of the upazila were supplied with one kilogramme each of the Sunflower seeds, 10 kilogramme each the DAP and the Potash fertiliser from the government. Cultivation of Sunflower seed is profitable.
Seven to eight maunds of Sun flower seeds are produced from one bigha of land. Price of one maund of seed is Taka 4,000 to 4,500. Edible oil is produced from the seed, the seed-cake is used as cattle-feed and the dried plant sticks are used as fire-woods.
UAO Mosharraf Hossain said, Sunflower is a profitable crop.
The cultivation of Sunflower would increase in the upazila in future. Farmers will be assisted to process and marketing of the Sunflower oil.