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Hapless char dwellers find hope in crop cultivation

Published : Monday, 25 June, 2018 at 12:00 AM  Count : 517
Ashok Benarjee
SIRAJGANJ, June 24: Almas Ali Khan and his wife Lipi Khatun live in Sonatoni Char under Shahjadpur Upazila of the district. The Jamuna River eroded their houses several times. Every time, they had to change their house location from one char to another. As a result, they lost everything and became helpless.
But, the char lands showed them hope. Different crops are being cultivated in char lands.
Almas leased one and a half bigha of land at Tk 12,000 and cultivated pointed gourd spending Tk 25,000. He got bumper production. He is selling per maund pointed gourd at Tk 1,200. They have already sold pointed gourd of Tk 80,000. If the water level does not rise, they will be able to pluck the vegetable in next two months and will get Tk one lakh more.
They also cultivated pumpkin beside the land and sold pumpkin of Tk 20,000. They built two tin-shed houses with the money. In this way they are changing their lot.
Many people like Almas became solvent to cultivate land in the char areas. Kazipur, Sadar Belkuchi, Shahjadpur and Chowhali Upazilas are very close to the Jamuna River. Thousands of hectares of char lands have been brought under the farming of different vegetables in the upazilas. The farmers are cultivating sesame, peanut, pointed gourd, pumpkin, chilli and corn in the vast char areas. The production cost is low in the char area and the profit is good. So the farmers are becoming solvent to cultivate crops in the area.
District Agriculture Department sources said groundnut was cultivated on 4,185 ha of land, pointed gourd on 330 ha, sesame on 7,860 ha, wheat on 5,838 ha, pumpkin on 785 ha, corn on 9,490 ha and chilli on 2,427 ha.
Groundnut was cultivated on 100 per cent lands in char areas under five upazilas of the district. Besides, sesame was cultivated on 75 pc land and other crops on 60 pc lands.
Peanut, pointed gourd, pumpkin, sesame and corn are being cultivated in Koijuri, Sonatoni, Gala and Jalalpur unions in Shahzadpur Upazila, Natuapara, Nishchintopur, Tekani and Mansur Nagar unions in Kazipur Upazila, Kawakhola and Mechra unions in Sadar Upazila, and Khashrajbari, Kashkawlia, Omarpur and Sodiachandpur unions in Chowhali Upazila.
The farmers got bumper production of peanut this year. As the price is high in the market, the farmers are being benefited economically.
Sabuj Miah of Koijuri Union in Shahjadpur Upazila said he cultivated groundnut on four bighas of land.
The sandy lands were kept abandoned in the previous year. The farmers are cultivating peanut with the suggestion of the local agriculture office. The sandy lands are suitable for peanut farming. In cultivating peanut, irrigation is not necessary. To get more production, fertilisers and insecticides are necessary and the cultivation cost of peanut is less.
Sabuj Miah also said he will cultivate peanut on more lands as the production is good this year.
Raihan Ali of Boalkandi Village in Chowhali Upazila said, "We could not think that it is possible to cultivate pumpkin in the char land. I cultivated pumpkin on half a bigha of land last year and got bumper yield. I cultivated pumpkin on 10 bighas of land this year at the cost of Tk 2 lakh. I expect to sell pumpkin of Tk 4 lakh."
Shahjadpur Upazila Agriculture Officer Manju Alam said, "Most of the lands were left abandoned in the char areas. But the farmers started cultivating different crops on the lands applying their experiences. We are also giving them suggestions."
He also said the cultivation of peanut and pointed gourd has increased in the char areas of Shahjadpur. The peanut will be cultivated more at different chars of Shahjadpur in future.
He further said 14,015 maunds of peanut were produced in per bigha of land this year. The farmers will be economically benefited this year.
Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension Mohammad Arshed Ali said the farmers are cultivating various crops and vegetables in char lands applying their own experience and following the suggestion of the agriculture department. Peanut, pointed gourd, pumpkin, sesame, corn and wheat are being cultivated here in large scale.
"The crops cultivated in the char areas are fulfilling our demand. Besides, the expenditure is very low to produce crops in char lands. So, the farmers are getting interested to cultivate crops in the area with a hope of more benefit," he added.









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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
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