Farmers across the country are busy in the cultivation of various winter vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, radish, carrot, beet, turnip, tomato, leafy spinach and red spinach.
According to officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), amid the present suitable climate, cultivation of winter vegetables is going on in full swing across the country.
Farmers are busy cultivating these vegetables in different parts of the country including Jessore, Rajshahi, Chattogram, Bogra, Rangpur, Cumilla, Narsingdi, Meherpur, Rajbari, Faridpur and Dinajpur.
Pre-planted beans, cabbage, tomatoes, cauliflower, eggplant, gourd, papaya, coriander, runner beans and various vegetables are now visible almost everywhere. After the depression, now the farmers have started planting winter vegetables.
Farmers, however, are saying that the planting of winter vegetables was delayed for sometime due to rains.
In two seasons in the country, vegetables are cultivated in 7,12,000 hectares of land countrywide and the total production of vegetables is around 1.60 metric tons. Most vegetables are produced in the winter. This year, the target for winter vegetable production is in 5,00,000 hectares of land. Usually, 60 varieties of vegetables are being produced in Bangladesh while about 1.5 crore farmers are involved in vegetable cultivation.
DAE Director General Md Asadullah said that the situation and weather of the country at present is very good for vegetable cultivation. He hoped of better production this year.
According to sources in Chattogram, early winter vegetables have already started to appear in the markets. This time vegetables are being planted in more lands than in the last year to ensure food and nutrition security during the corona period.
DAE officials in Chattogram said, this year in 5 districts of Chattogram region, the maximum planting target has been set at 54,489 hectares of land and so far vegetables have been planted in 13,006 hectares of land. In last year, vegetables were planted in this region in 11,65,850 hectares of land.
In Rajshahi region, the target for winter vegetable and tomato cultivation this season has been set at 12,900 hectares of land and the production target is 3,16,000 metric tons.
Besides, the government has set a target of producing 11 lakh tonnes of winter vegetables in 52,000 hectares of land in the southern region in this Robi season. Field level agronomists say that winter vegetable cultivation will be delayed in the region.
Khulna region officials of the DAE said farmers in the area have already started planting various vegetables and they are hopeful of better production this year.
However, DAE officials in Sylhet region said, a different scenario is visible in this region as this area is a rain prone area. Heavy rain and floods have disrupted the vegetable cultivation this year. Farmers in the region have become severely affected by the weather. However, they were trying to overcome the situation.
Like in Rajshahi, Khulna, Barishal, Sylhet and Chattogram, farmers in other regions of the country like Bogra, Dinajpur, Cumilla, Rangpur and Faridpur are also now busy in the cultivation of winter vegetables in full swing.