15m farmers to get agri-inputs distribution cards by Dec

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15m farmers to get agri-inputs distribution cards by Dec
FE Report

Some 15 million farmers, for the first time, will get ‘agri-inputs distribution cards’ by next month in a move that will support the government to streamline its payment system for the agriculture sector.

“Necessary preparations have been completed to distribute the cards among the farmers by the end of December,” a senior agriculture ministry official told the FE Thursday.

The agriculture ministry has planned to complete the card distribution process by next month for ensuring smooth supply of urea fertliser and disbursement of proposed subsidy on diesel and electricity for running irrigation pumps in the ensuing ‘Boro’ plantation season.

Details about the extent of cropping lands, use of agricultural inputs like seeds and fertilisers, amount of payable government subsidies and types of cultivated crops by an individual farmer will be incorporated in the agri-input distribution cards, said the official.

According to the ministry officials, the government will provide cash subsidy and other agriculture inputs to farmers on the basis of such cards.

“The card will not only help the government to systematically distribute subsidies and other inputs among farmers, but also check leakage and irregularities in their payment system,” said an official.

Besides, introduction of the cards will also help the government to fix the country’s demands for agri-inputs including fertilisers so that necessary steps can be taken on time.

The government has already prepared the list of about 15 million farmers following a countrywide survey conducted by the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) for distribution of such cards.

Officials said the authorities will update the list of such cards every year.

Distribution of the agri-input distribution cards has been initiated against the backdrop of the government’s plan to establish an agricultural database.

Official sources also said the government has completed the process of appointing dealers and retailers at all upazila levels to ensure uninterrupted supply of fertiliser, especially urea, during the upcoming Boro season.

An average nine retailers have been appointed for every upazila against each authorised dealer for ensuring greater access of farmers to fertiliser, they mentioned.

Pran to double farm produce procurement

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Pran to double farm produce procurement
Sohel Parvez

Pran has set a target to double investment in agricultural produce procurement, mainly from contract growers, to boost sales in domestic and export markets.

The leading processed-food maker will buy agricultural produce worth Tk 400 crore in 2010, officials said.

Until November 2009, Pran has purchased various agricultural products worth around Tk 200 crore from farmers.

“We have planned to increase the raw material procurement to expand business and serve rural farmers,” said Kamruzzaman Kamal, marketing director of Pran-RFL Group.

The entity with turnover in excess of Tk 900 crore will buy mangoes, aromatic rice, pineapples, tomatoes, fresh milk, spices, peanuts, mung, potatoes and mustard from farmers, mainly in the north.

Pran that exports to more than 70 countries plans to cash in on the growing market for agro-processed foods.

“We will purchase mainly from our contract farmers. We believe such direct buying helps farmers get fair prices as it reduces scope for middlemen to make extra gains,” said Kamal. Pran procures agricultural produce from more than 10,000 contract growers.

Of the Tk 400 crore purchase plan, a fourth or Tk 100 crore will go into procuring mangoes to extract the pulp that makes mango flavoured juice and strengthen its position in the mango drink segment.

Currently, more than 10 local and foreign brands are competing in the category to dominate the rising mango-flavoured drink market.

Pran bought mangoes worth Tk 70 crore from farmers this year.

This year, aromatic rice, fresh milk, tomatoes and spices will account for most of the procurement.

“We have close connections with farmers in rural areas,” said Kamal, adding that the contract farmers are offered market prices.

“We have contract growers in various districts such as Rajshahi, Natore and Chapainawabganj. They produce tomato, aromatic rice, mango, peanut, milk and spices.”

Kamal said the company wants to bring in more farmers under contract next year to ensure guaranteed supplies of fresh agricultural produce.

sohel@thedailystar.net

Big onion output target set to reduce import

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Big onion output target set to reduce import
Bss, Rangpur

The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has fixed a target for producing 4,69,679 tonnes of onion on 72,292 hectares of land in the northern region of the country during the current Rabi season.

According to official sources, the DAE, the Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI), the Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) and a number of non-government organisations (NGOs) are working to make the onion-farming programme a success.

Steps have been taken to provide adequate training, technical assistance and inputs, high quality imported and locally produced seeds, and agri-loans for the farmers under various programme, including the Northwest Crop Diversification Project (NCDP).

Sources said, the special steps taken earlier this year to produce onion during the last summer season will help greatly in producing the spicy crop in the region.

This year, more steps have been taken to increase production of onion during the current Rabi season, deputy directors of the DAE Kamal Shariful Alam, Mohsin Ali, Yunus Ali and Hazrat Ali in northern districts told the news agency.

Senior agro-experts in the DAE, BADC and BARI said, the onion import will come down significantly next year after achievement of the fixed target during this season and added that the target is expected to be achieved due to the special steps.

They hoped that onion production in the region would continue to increase as the crop is being cultivated twice a year in place of only once during the winter in the past.

Besides, the farmers have been showing more interest in farming spicy crops including onion this time following disbursement of easy-term agri-loan at only two percent interest rate among the farmers.

Earlier, a huge amount of allocated agri-loan money for the purpose had remained idle with the banks, but due to recent steps taken by Bangladesh Bank, the loans are now being disbursed at larger scales among the farmers.

Onion will be cultivated this year on 13,325 hectares of land in Rajshahi, 4,431 hectares in Naogaon, 3,467 hectares in Natore, 4,047 hectares in Chapainawabganj, 33,060 hectares in Pabna, 944 hectares in Sirajganj, 2,442 hectares in Bogra and 816 hectares in Joypurhat districts.

This season, 1,896 hectares will be brought under onion farming in Rangpur, 1,152 hectares in Gaibandha, 730 hectares in Lalmonirhat, 1,416 hectares in Nilphamari, 775 hectares in Kurigram, 2,195 hectares in Dinajpur, 648 hectares in Thakurgaon and 948 hectares in Panchagarh.

Mercantile Bank to finance purchase of tractors by farmers

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Mercantile Bank to finance purchase of tractors by farmers

From now on, Mercantile Bank Limited will finance the farmers directly to purchase tractors for the development of agricultural sector, said a press release.

In this connection, an agreement was signed between Mercantile Bank Limited and ACI Motors Limited, the sole distributor of Sonalika Tractors, in the city recently.

Mercantile Bank Managing Director (Current Charge) AKM Shahidul Haque and Business Director (Agribusiness) of ACI Motors Dr Khandaker Helal Uddin signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations in presence Md Abdul Jalil, MP, chairman of Mercantile Bank Kimited.

T-Aman harvest continues in full swing, production target will exceed in N-dists

http://www.bssnews.net/newsDetails.php?cat=8&id=72963&date=2009-11-24

T-Aman harvest continues in full swing, production target will exceed in N-dists

by Mamun Islam

RANGPUR, Bangladesh, Nov 24 (BSS) – Production target of T-Aman rice is expected to exceed by 8.5 percent as the farmers are getting bumper yields when harvest of the paddy continues in full swing everywhere in the northern districts, officials said today.

Officials and experts in the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) told BSS that the average yield rate of the crop in term of clean rice is expected to be higher than the fixed target everywhere in Rangpur Agriculture Zone.

Average 26 percent harvest of T-Aman has so far been completed in Rangpur Zone and farmers are getting average yield rates of 2.89 tonnes clean rice per hectare for hybrid, 2.63 tonnes for high yielding and 1.60 tonnes for local varieties.

“We are expecting average per hectare yield rate at 2.80 tonnes clean T-Aman rice against targeted 2.50 tonnes rice per hectare in Rangpur Zone this season,” DAE’s Additional Director (AD) of Rangpur Zone Shakhawat Hossain told BSS today.

It became possible under the changed climatic conditions and initial droughts as the growing T-Aman paddy plants adapted with the available moisture and nutrient contents in the soil under Alternative Wet and Dry (AWD) methods, he added.

“The soil has 17 nutrients for paddy plants and the T-Aman plants took zinc and Sulphur nutrients better under dry
conditions and potash and phosphorus nutrients under wet conditions under the AWD methods for this excellent T-Aman production,” he said.

As a result, the T-Aman plants grew well and the total rice production might be over 29,90,000 tonnes from 10,67,860 hectares land that the farmers have brought under T- Aman farming this season in eight districts under Rangpur Zone, he said.

Meanwhile, the farmers have already completed harvesting short duration Aman paddies like BRRI Dhan 33, BINA Dhan 7 and BU Dhan 1 in 56,000 hectares in the zone and got average yield rate at 3.5 tonnes clean rice per hectare, he furthered.

BUMPER-T AMAN-2 The DAE sources said that a target of producing 27,57,344 tonnes T-Aman rice has been fixed from
10,44,755 hectares land in Rangpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon and Panchagarh district for this season.

Despite initial hurdles including prolonged droughts, the farmers finally exceeded the T-Aman farming target by 23,105 hectares this season in the zone where the overall rice production might be 8.5 percent higher than the fixed target, the sources said.

“Harvesting began a little later this time than the normal period as plantation of T-Aman seedlings was delayed due to initial droughts and it will be completed by the next two weeks period,” Deputy Director of DAE Kamal Shariful Alam said.

The government extended necessary assistances timely to the farmers in seedling plantations amid droughts through directing the concerned authorities including Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) for supplementary irrigation.

“We made 9,470 deep tube wells ready and the government allocated Taka 8.04 crore for providing free irrigation for
1,50,000 hectares of drought-hit cropland during the recent droughts, Superintending Engineer of the BMDA Monwar Hossain told BSS.

In addition, to cope with the recent droughts, the government provided supplementary irrigation to vast tract of the T-Aman fields in the command area of the Teesta Barrage Project in greater Rangpur and Dinajpur districts.

The adequate late rainfalls and excellent growth of the T- Aman plants under the AWD methods helped a lot in achieving a bumper production of the crop despite initial droughts this season, DD Ataul Haque of DAE’s Rangpur Zone told BSS.

The late rainfalls not only helped the farmers completing plantation of seedlings, but also acted as tonic for the growing T-Aman plants and saved it from various diseases and pests’ attacks, DD Yunus Ali of Nilphamari and Mohsin Ali of Kurigram
said.

Till Monday, the farmers have completed 15 percent T-Aman harvest each in Rangpur and Kurigram, eight in Gaibandha, 40 in Lalmonirhat, 30 in Nilphamari, 20 in Dinajpur, 44 in Thakurgaon and 35 percent in Panchagarh districts, officials said.

Bumper production of winter vegetables expected in northern region

http://www.bssnews.net/newsDetails.php?cat=4&id=72361&date=2009-11-21

Bumper production of winter vegetables expected in northern region

RAJSHAHI, Bangladesh, Nov 21 (BSS)- Bumper production of the winter vegetables is being expected everywhere in the 16 northern districts under Rajshahi division during the current Rabi season by virtue of the favorable topography and weather.

All varieties of winter vegetables have now appeared in abundance in the local markets and the yield rate achieved so far are found to be higher than that of the target due to early farming of the vegetables, Officials in the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said.

Meanwhile, the market price of all varieties of vegetables especially lalshak, palangshak, sheem and mula has been declined to abnormal level frustrating the farmers side by side with making the purchasers happy.

The DAE has fixed an average yield rate of all varieties winter vegetables at 15 tonnes per hectare this time, the sources said.

Under the programme, a total of around 18 lakh tonnes different varieties of vegetables will be produced in 1.23 lakh hectares in all 16 districts under Rajshahi and Rangpur agriculture zones in the country’s northern region this season.

Under the programme, 12,000 hectares in Rajshahi, 7,500 hectares each in Naogaon and Sirajganj, 6,500 hectares in Natore, 9,500 hectares in Chapainawabganj, 16,000 hectares in Pabna, 8,500 hectares in Bogra and 5,000 hectares will be brought under the cultivation of winter vegetables in Joypurhat districts under Rajshahi Agriculture Zone, the DAE sources said.

Apart from this, 8,000 hectares of land were brought under winter vegetables in Rangpur, 6,000 hectares each in Gaibandha, Nilphamari, Kurigram and Thakurgaon, 5,000 hectares in Lalmonirhat, 10,000 hectares in Dinajpur and 4,000 hectares in Panchagarh districts under Rangpur Agriculture Zone.

Officials said the DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute, Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation and many NGOs have been supplying adequate quality seeds, other agro-inputs and providing necessary technical assistance to the farmers for making the cultivation a total success.

Additional director of DAE Akterul Afghan told BSS that emphasis is being given to increasing production of high yielding seeds and saplings through farmers’ level extension and application of the high yielding varieties.

Farmers are being habituated with homestead gardening through establishing projection plot of improved technologies adjacent to the localities for enhancing vegetable output.

As a result of this, he said gardening around homesteads in the Barind region is becoming increasingly popular with production of different common fruits and vegetables for own consumption and also to sell the surplus for extra income.

In addition to this, he said modern technologies are being transferred among the growers level through farmers training, projection plot, field day and different types of campaign so that the farmers could make their cultivation more effective and profitable.

Different commercial banks, including Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank and other commercial banks, NGOs have been disbursing agriculture loans and interest-free loans among the farmers to make the cultivation of winter vegetables successful.

Dev of salinity tolerant rice at final stage

http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/11/21/news0141.htm

Dev of salinity tolerant rice at final stage
BSS, Dhaka

A newly invented variety of salinity- tolerant rice will be placed before the National Seed Board to get nod from the authorities for taking it to field level cultivation in the next Boro season.

Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) is at the final stage of developing the variety to cultivate in the lands with high salinity in the coastal belts of the country. The probable name of the variety would be BINA dhan-8.

Dr Mirza Mofazzal Islam, principal scientific officer of BINA said that the vast tract of coastal lands with high salinity of the region remained fallow in absence of salinity tolerant variety of rice.

At present the falling rate of mature paddy of BR- 47, which has less tolerance level of salinity, is very high in the harvesting time that may affect total production rate of the farmers, Dr Mirza added.

But falling rate of the BINA-8, the newly developed variety, is very low, he said the variety will create good prospect for some good qualities in lands with salinity in the country’s coastal region.

Dr Mirza, who is developing the variety under the initiative of BINA, said the development of BINA dhan- 8 was started in 2000 and now it is at final stage and ready to be cultivated.

Bangladesh to grow GM rice by 2012

http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/11/19/news0976.htm

Bangladesh to grow GM rice by 2012
BSS, Dhaka

Bangladesh will grow genetically modified (GM) rice variety known as golden rice by 2012.

The rice variety, rich in vitamin ‘A’, will help meet the deficiency of the particular vitamin, lack of which causes childhood blindness and weaken immune system.

The Manila-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in an article posted on its web site on Tuesday said the golden rice would grow in Bangladesh and the Philippines by 2012.

Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) Director General Dr Md Firoze Shah Sikder told BSS today that BRRI would began test production of the rice in a confined laboratory by this year.

He said the variety was developed by genetically modifying BRRI-29 – a high-yielding variety of rice, being produced in the country for a long with significant success.

“IRRI has done the trial production of the golden rice in many countries, but it got good result in Bangladesh ahead of others,” he said. The BRRI is also in a final stage to build a laboratory with the financial and technical assistance from the IRRI, he said.

He, however, said that the launching of the new variety in the field level would take time for ensuring that it would be safe for the local crops and environment.

IRRI in its articles said that among Asian countries, India, China and the Philippines had already adopted the GM technology in producing different crops.

India planted GM cotton in around 7.6 million hectares of land this year and the Philippines grew GM maize in 4 lakh hectares of land in 2008.

IRRI expects the first GM rice to be grown in Bangladesh and the Philippines in two years would provide about 124 million people in Africa and Asia with sufficient amount of vitamin ‘A’.

The IRRI estimates that the deficiency of vitamin ‘A’ causes one million deaths a year and 500,000 cases of blindness.

Maize production getting popularity in N-districts

http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/11/18/news0913.htm

Maize production getting popularity in N-districts: Many farmers finding solvency

BSS, Rangpur

The enthusiastic farmers have already started sowing maize seeds in the country’s northern region where a target of producing 6,65,912 tonnes of the crop from 1,02,448 hectares has been fixed for this winter season.Official sources in the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) on Tuesday told BSS that 56 percent of the national target of producing 11,70,000 tonnes maize from 1,80,000 hectares will be produced this season in the 16 northern districts alone.

The DAE officials said that large-scale maize farming has changed the fate of hundreds of the poor on the sandy-barren char lands in the river basins as in the mainland and the farmers are preparing for farming the cash crop with huge enthusiasm this season.

They said cultivation of maize on vast sandy-char lands and in dried-up beds of the rivers and their tributaries brought about a revolutionary change to the poor farmers and unemployed youths especially during the past five consecutive years.

The char people are bringing huge sandy-barren lands under maize farming for the sixth consecutive time this year as they got tremendous yield of the cash crop and fair prices during the previous years, officials said. Over 25,000 hectares of char lands in the Brahmaputra, Teesta, Dharla, Jamuna, Dudhkumar, Atrai, Kartoa, Ghaghot and other river basins in the region are expected to be brought under maize farming this year.

Cultivation of maize has also been contributing significantly to the poverty reduction and achieving economic self- reliance by the poor in recent years in the region, including the vast char areas, which has become possible for large-scale maize farming.

Maize farming is always more profitable than many other crops and the enthusiastic farmers are getting high yielding variety of maize seeds in farming the crop using the latest scientific methods of cultivation for further successes.

“The prevailing immense potentialities to increase maize production by bringing the huge abandoned char lands in Kurigram, Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Bogra, Gaibandha, Sirajganj, Pabna districts are yet to be explored fully,” Deputy Director of DAE Kamal Shariful Alam said.

The yield rate has been fixed at 6.5 tonnes per hectare and the farmers are expected to bring more land under maize farming this season and the overall production may cross the fixed target in the region, officials hoped.

Side by side with the government departments, many NGOs have been distributing huge quantities of high yielding variety maize seeds and other inputs among the small and marginal farmers under their various programmes this year.

A total of 9,431 hectares land will be brought under maize farming in Rangpur, 7,868 in Gaibandha, 3,861 in Kurigram, 16,241 in Lalmonirhat, 1,915 in Nilphamari, 22,220 in Dinajpur, 524 in Panchagarh and 5,976 hectares in Thakurgaon under Rangpur Zone.

Besides, maize will be cultivated on 3,478 hectares in Rajshahi, 4,757 in Naogaon, 1,348 in Natore, 6,780 in Chapainawabganj, 13,177 in Bogra, 1,042 in Joypurhat, 766 in

Pabna and 3,064 hectares land in Sirajganj under Rajshahi Zone during this winter season.

Record target set for potato cultivation in the north

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Record target set for potato cultivation in the north

Bss, Rangpur

The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has fixed a record target for producing 49,66,220 tonnes of potato from 3,00,983 hectares during the current Rabi season in all the 16 districts of the country’s northern region.

The target is higher by 5,58,284 tonnes this season than that of the last year as the farmers will bring more 51,383 hectares of land under cultivation. The last year’s target was 44,07,936 tonnes from 2,49,383 hectares, officials said yesterday.

The per hectare production target has been fixed at 16.50 tonnes this time.

The DAE officials said the farmers have already started sowing early-variety potatoes in many areas after harvesting short duration Aman paddies and the process will get momentum with the progress of T-Aman harvesting that just started in the region.

However, the farmers are expected to cultivate potato in more land than the fixed target this time for more profits following the recent reduction in non-urea fertiliser prices by about 36 percent as it will cut production costs.

Sharecroppers are also showing interest in farming potato on large scale after getting agri-loans without any deposits for the first time this year and the char farmers are also preparing for producing potato in the river basins this season.

Government departments including the DAE, Bangladesh

Agriculture Development Corporation, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute and a number of NGOs have taken steps for providing quality potato seeds among the farmers to make the programme a success, officials said.

The departments and administration concerned have taken adequate steps for ensuring smooth supply of chemical fertilisers, pesticides, technical assistance and other inputs to the potato growers at the grassroots.

The early-variety potatoes may appear in the local markets by mid-December as the farmers have cultivated those much ahead of the usual schedule in greater Rangpur, Bogra and Joypurhat and in some other places of the region, officials said.

Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank, commercial banks, other financial institutions and a number of NGOs are providing easy-term agri-loans and the DAE and BADC have been distributing potato seeds and other inputs among the farmers.

A number of farmers told the news agency that prices of potato seeds are very high this time in the local markets because of higher prices of the commodity throughout the year and production fall during last year.

“We are facing some problems in purchasing potato seeds as the quantity of potato seeds being supplied by the BADC and DAE is not sufficient,” they said.

“The farmers will face no seed problems as they have their own stocks and private companies are selling imported seeds this time,” deputy director of DAE, Gaibandha Kamal Shariful Alam told the news agency yesterday.

Vegetable export prospects

http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/11/14/news0534.htm

Vegetable export prospects

BANGLADESHI businessmen despite slow growth in exports of fresh vegetables and fruits are optimistic of the potentials of these sectors. According to the recent media reports, they believe they would be able to export more fresh produces provided they get ‘one modern processing centre’ for testing, sorting and packaging facilities and efficient and hassle-free airport services. They are for a modern processing centre to help them export more fresh produces by meeting requirements of buyers, especially in the European markets. The Bangladesh Vegetable and Allied Fruits Exporters Association has sought technical and financial supports besides allocation of land from the government for the centre.

The fresh vegetable and fruit exporters have now been facing stiff competition from their counterparts from Pakistan, India and Kenya in Middle-east markets including United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait. Pakistani and Indian exporters for their close proximity are able to send their goods at cheap prices through the sea-route while Bangladesh exporters have to rely on expensive air shipment. Even then the export of fresh vegetables and fruits from the country has got good market as Bangladeshi expatriates are the main buyers who prefer home-grown produces.

According to local exporters, Bangladeshis in many European cities look for fresh Bangladeshi vegetables and fruits. Earlier Britain was the major destination for local fresh vegetables and fruits. For the past few years Bangladesh has been exporting such consignments to Italy and France. According to the Export Promotion Bureau’s latest data, fresh produces worth $10 million was exported in two months – July and August of the current fiscal year, nearly 7 per cent less than the export of the corresponding period of last year. The reasons were attributed to lack of modern processing centre and timely supports from the government besides shortage of cargo services.

Taka 52.99-crore project to enhance farm production, employment creation

http://www.bssnews.net/newsDetails.php?cat=2&id=70355&date=2009-11-12

Taka 52.99-crore project to enhance farm production, employment creation

RAJSHAHI, Bangladesh, Nov 12 (BSS)- A Taka 52.99 crore project is being implemented to disseminate modern agro engineering and technological know-how to farmers at the grassroots for enhancing farm production.

Officials concerned said the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) is implementing the project to make the modern engineering technologies acceptable to the field level growers as the demand for food and other agricultural crops are gradually increasing with the rise of population in the country.

According to the officials, the five-year ‘Production Enhancement and Creation of Rural Employment through Extension of Agriculture Engineering Technology Project’ is being implemented in 112 upazilas of 56 districts in the country.

The project began in July 2005. The main objective of the project is to make the agriculture sector profitable after reducing expenditures at all stages of production.

Besides, extension of irrigation area through time-fitting management and to make it cost-effective, the project seeks to increase cropping intensity along with quality development of crops and to resist its misuse through proper application of agriculture machinery.

To attain the goal, steps were taken to appoint agriculture engineers at the upazila level aimed at motivating the farmers in using modern agriculture engineering technologies and to re-excavate the rural derelict canals, ponds and other water bodies
to preserve surface water during the dry season.

Different kind of modern machinery like power tiller, seeder, weedier, sprayer, self-propelled and power tiller operated reaper, power thresher and drier are being distributed among the farmers groups at a cost-effective price.

Side by side, demonstrations, training, field day, farmers rally, workshop and agriculture machinery fair are being arranged at different levels on various issues including irrigation management, improved canal, surface-water conservation and removing water stagnant in cultivation fields.

Deputy Director of DAE, Rajshahi Braja Hari Das told BSS today that the project would help attain the target of cherished crop production which is essential for the country.

Harvest begins, bumper T-Aman production likely in N-dists

http://www.bssnews.net/newsDetails.php?cat=8&id=70427&date=2009-11-12

Harvest begins, bumper T-Aman production likely in N-dists
by Mamun Islam

RANGPUR, Nov 12 (BSS) – Farmers have already started harvesting Transplanted Aman (T-Aman) paddy with excellent yield rates everywhere in the northern districts under Rangpur Agriculture Zone (RAZ).

Farmers and officials in the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) while talking to BSS today expressed their satisfaction expecting a bumper production of the major T-Aman crop despite some initial problems they faced in farming of the crop.

“Harvesting of the crop will get full momentum from November 20 everywhere in the zone and we are expecting to achieve the
fixed production target of T-Aman rice during this season,” Additional Director of the DAE to the RAZ Shakhawat Hossain today said.

The DAE officials said that the farmers successfully fought the prolonged droughts with the assistances of the government and finally exceeded the Aman farming target by 2.46 percent this season in the zone and a bumper production is now expected.

Harvesting will continue for a little longer time this season following late completion of transplantations of the seedlings due to droughts and also late plantation in the flood- ravaged fields, they said.

The farmers have brought 10,70,675 hectares of land under T-Aman farming against the target for producing 27,57,344 tonnes of rice from 10,44,755 hectares land with 2.64 tonnes average rice yield per hectare.

The farmers have brought 25,920 hectares more land than the target in the zone this season where the harvesting of the short duration Aman paddies with bumper yields have already been completed, they said.

“We got 3 tonnes rice per hectare after harvesting of the short duration anti-monga BRRI Dhan 33 and BINA Dhan 7 variety paddies and are getting average yields of 2.6 to 2.7 tonnes rice per hectare of the T-Aman so far,” AD Shakhawat Hossain  added.

Deputy Director (DD) of DAE, Gaibandha Kamal Shariful Alam, DD of Kurigram Mohsin Ali, DD of Nilphamari Yunus Ali and DD of Rangpur Hazrat Ali said that the overall T-Aman production will be excellent this season in the areas.

“There are reports of almost no pests’ attacks and the farmers have been continuing harvest of T-Aman crop with huge enthusiasm and festivity in the region where the traditional Nabanno continues at the farmers’ houses,” they added.

The farmers were initially disheartened for prolonged droughts as plantation of Aman seedlings was seriously hampered at the beginning of this season, but the government initiatives and late rainfalls helped the farmers to complete the seedling plantation.

The government immediately assisted the farmers in seedling plantations amid droughts by providing supplementary irrigation by commissioning the deep Tube Wells (DTWs) of the Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA).

Besides, to cope with the recent droughts, the government also provided supplementary irrigations to vast tract of the T-Aman fields in the command area of the Teesta Barrage Project in greater Rangpur and Dinajpur districts bringing relief to the farmers.

“We made 9,470 DTWs ready and the government allocated Taka 8.04 crore to provide free supplementary irrigation for 1,50,000 hectares of drought-hit cropland during the recent droughts, Superintending Engineer of the BMDA Monwar Hossain told BSS.

A total of 59,000 shallow tube wells, 1,662 DTWs, 65 low lift pumps and nearly 4,000 other irrigation devices were also put into operation during the recent droughts that made the T- Aman farming successful in the region, officials said.

“The adequate late rainfalls acted as tonics that also saved the Aman crop from pests’ attacks and diseases paving the way in getting a bumper production of the major crop this season,” DAE’s Deputy Director (DD) Ataul Haque to the Rangpur Zone told BSS.

The DAE officials and farmers today told the national news agency the overall T-Aman production will be excellent this season if the climatic conditions remain favourable with no pests’ attacks onwards till completion of the harvests.

The production target will not be affected though the recent floods damaged growing T-Aman crops on 30,324 hectares of land and vegetables on 901 hectares causing a loss of Taka 136.76 crore this season in the zone, officials said.

While talking to BSS, farmers Samir Kumar, Saiful and Mahmudul Islam of Dinajpur, Kalam, Shariful and Abul Hossain of Naogaon, Sukur Ali and Hafizur of Thakurgaon, and Solaiman Ali and Faruque of Rangpur expected a bumper Aman production.

Potato flakes maker eyes brisk exports

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Potato flakes maker eyes brisk exports

A Correspondent, Chandpur

A Bangladeshi company plans to export more than 100 tonnes of potato flakes this year.

Patwary Potato Flakes Ltd, established by Abdul Awal Patwary in Chandpur, will export the product mainly to Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Pakistan, India, UK and Germany.

The company that started its operation in November 2004 produces 7,200 tonnes of potato flakes a year.

Potato flakes are used as dry food and around 150 types of food can be prepared from the flakes. Flakes are a key characteristic of instant mashed potatoes. Firms that manufacture potato chips use flakes as primary raw materials for their products. Potato flakes or granules are also used as a base for potato pancakes.

Patwary Potato produces flakes from dried potatoes grown under the company’s direct assistance at grower level. Contract farmers are provided with seeds and training in technology by the company, officials said.

“We took 107 acres on lease for potato farming in the char area of Meghna in Chandpur and another 670 acres from Rangpur Sugar Mills in Gaibandha,” said Md Jamal Uddin, a director of Patwary Potato.

“Last year we paid to farmers Tk 26 for potato per kg,” said MA Hashem, another director of the company.

The company exported a huge amount of flakes to Switzerland, Malaysia, Netherlands, Germany, Sri Lanka and other countries last year. It exported seven tonnes of potato flakes to Belgium alone, an official said.

Patwary Potato Flakes imported processing machinery from the Netherlands. All processing is done under the guidance of foreign and Bangladeshi experts, according to its website.

Patwary Potato Flakes has a cold storage to store more than 20,000 tonnes of potato to use all year for processing potato flakes.

Hybrid vegetables take hold

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Hybrid vegetables take hold

Sohel Parvez

Bangladesh is slowly coming out of a seasonal barrier in vegetables production mainly, helped by consistent growth in sales and cultivation of hybrid seeds that offer farmers scope to profit from off-season vegetables.

Consumers now get bitter gourd, bottle gourd, carrot, cucumber, eggplant and tomato available almost round the year at retail level. The cultivation of these vegetables had once been only seasonal, stakeholders say.

Other winter vegetables such as cauliflower and cabbage are also available for a longer period in recent years, thanks to farmers’ interests to grow hybrid vegetables of early yield varieties to have more margins.

Agriculture ministry officials say hybrid seeds cultivation at an enhanced rate has raised the production of vegetables to 29.17 lakh tonnes in fiscal 2007-08 from 16.87 lakh tonnes in fiscal 2005-06.

“It’s an achievement that has become possible mainly because of hybridisation,” said Anwar Faruque, director general of Seed Wing at the Ministry of Agriculture.

“The off-season vegetables reward farmers a higher price. For consumers, it’s an opportunity to taste vegetables without waiting for the season,” he said.

Vegetables seeds, mainly hybrid, now meet almost 40 percent of the annual demand of over 2,600 tonnes with various imported and locally innovated hybrid varieties capable of growing in off-season.

“Once most vegetables seeds had been meant for one season. But we have developed several seed varieties that can grow beyond season,” said Mahbub Anam, managing director of Lal Teer Seed, the market leader in the hybrid vegetables seed segment.

He said the hybrid vegetables seeds market now grows about 15 percent a year as it offers farmers higher yield, faster growth and better price.

“There is a good demand for a number of vegetables seeds,” Anam said, citing bottle gourd, okra, bitter gourd, radish and cucumber. “Apart from this, demand for eggplant, tomato, cabbage and cauliflower is also high.”

“In the past, farmers were not aware of vegetables economics and they were dependant on rice. Now they have realised about making more profits from vegetables cultivations,” said Anam.

Increased plantation and sales of hybrid seeds, as a result of marketing strategies of seed companies, have also led to a gradual decline in the cultivation of traditional vegetables.

“This is because farmers can get high yield by using hybrid seeds which can also be planted under different weather conditions,” said Sudhir Chandra Nath, programme manager of the agro-marketing division of Brac, which also produces and markets hybrid seeds.

Meanwhile, the Seed Wing top official at the agriculture ministry points his finger at the different taste of the off-season vegetables.

“You may not get the same taste of a winter vegetables as you taste by consuming that during summer.”

sohel@thedailystar.net