JHENAIDAH, Mar 19: A record size of land has been brought under wheat cultivation in this district this year.
To increase the wheat cultivation size, 5,000 farmers were given seeds and fertiliser free of cost.
Due to blast disease, wheat cultivation remained suspended in Jhenaidah from 2016 to 2019.
According to sources at the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE)-Jhenaidah, this year, wheat has been cultivated on 5,230 hectares (ha) of land, higher by 57 ha than the target. The wheat production target has been fixed at 21,129 mt.
The cultivated lands included 790 ha in Sadar Upazila, 320 ha in Kaliganj, 130 ha in Coatchandpur, 820 ha in Maheshpur, 2,860 ha in Shoilokuupa, and 310 ha in Horinakundu.
In the last year, wheat was cultivated on …135 ha against 4,278 ha in 2022.
A farmer of Borobari Village at Madhuhati Union in Sadar Upazila Abdullah said, per bigha cultivation cost of wheat stands at 6,000-7,000. Usually, per bigha wheat production stands at 15-16 maunds. There is no problem in selling their produce.
DAE sources said, profit is higher than cost in wheat cultivation. Wheat seeds are thrown from last week of Kartik to third week of Agrahayan (Second Week of November to first week of December).
Raised and sandy loam soil is suitable for wheat cultivation. On the basis of shape of soil it requires irrigation two to three times.
Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer Md Noor-e-Nabi said, this year favourable weather is prevailing for wheat cultivation; so far the growth of wheat is good; besides, rich species of seeds have been sowed; blast disease-tolerant BARI-30, 32 and 33 have been cultivated mostly; within 60-64 days, sheaves appear from these species; their life time is 112 days; plants don tilt so easily as these are zinc-enriched and stems are hard.
The DAE is hopeful about bumper yielding, the official maintained.
