Dirai gets self-sufficiency in vegetable production

DIRAI, SUNAMGANJ, Feb 16: Youths and elderly people in Dirai Upazila of the district are busy in cultivating Robi crops.
They are also busy in farming different types of vegetables in addition to their other works. Vegetable of any species is being cultivated in every uncultivated land piece.
For the last one decade, different vegetables have been cultivated in a large scale in Dirai Upazila. As a result, inhabitants of Dirai Upazila and several other adjacent upazilas are eating poison-free vegetables.
Farmers are eating poison-free vegetables, and they are becoming financially solvent. Unemployed and foreign returnees are shifting to vegetable farming without other thinking. They are cultivating vegetables for the whole year, whose lands and premises are high.
Besides, winter vegetables are being cultivated in fallow haor lands, premises, and yards.
Once, farmers would not get any assistance from local agriculture office. They would not be inspected even by agriculture officials.
Now the young society in the upazila has changed the farming system.
For the last few years, farmers' data have been collected by the upazila agriculture office, and they have been given assistance including training.
Even a database of marginal farmers has been made.
According to Dirai Upazila Agriculture Office sources, this year, among Robi crops wheat cultivation target of one hectare (ha) has been achieved, and production target is three metric tons (MT) per hectare.
Maize cultivation target of 22 ha has been achieved, and production target is nine tonnes.
 Vegetable cultivation of 330 ha has been achieved, and production target is 22 MT.
  Potato cultivation target of 80 ha has been achieved, and production target is 20.2 MT.
 Sweet potato cultivation target of 25 ha has been achieved, and production target is 19 MT.
Mustard cultivation target of 100 ha has been achieved against target of 130 ha, and production target is 1.27 MT.
Black gram cultivation target of 10 ha has been achieved, and the production target is 1.2 MT.
Mung dul cultivation target of four ha has been achieved against target of five ha, and the production target is 1.15 MT.
Onion cultivation target of 15 ha has been achieved, and production target is 6.67 MT.
Garlic cultivation target of seven ha has been achieved, and production target is seven MT.
Dhania cultivation target of 10 ha has been achieved, and production target is 1.4 MT.
Chili cultivation target of 20 ha has been achieved, and production target is 1.4 MT.
Sunflower cultivation target of two ha has been achieved, and production target is two MT.
According to state of nutrition data of Dirai Upazila, food demand in the upazila is 58,533 MT, and production is 1,26,914 MT, a surplus of 68,381 MT.
Vegetable demand is 21,998 MT, and the production is 16,870 MT, a deficit of 5,128 MT.
 Oil demand is 2,668 kilolitre,  and production is 12,000 KL, a deficit of 2,655 kilometre.
Pulse demand is 5,342 MT, and production is 30 MT, a deficit of 5,312 MT.
Fruit demand is 9,602 MT, and production is 6,102 MT, a deficit of 3,500 MT.
Dirai Upazila Agriculture Officer Abu Md Maniruzzaman said, a revolution will take place soon in Dirai; already a preparation has been completed to declare four villages as Krishi Gram; these are Sakitpur of Karimpur Union, Sujanagar and Radhanagar of Dirai Pourasabha, and Dhapkai Village of Rajanagar Union.