Farmers have grown additional crops of Tk 400 crore annually in three districts - Cumilla, Chandpur and Brahmanbaria - due to ensuring of widespread irrigation facilities from the government, according to the Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC).
According to the BADC, more than 1,20,790 farmers of the three districts have taken the advantage of irrigation to grow more crops in their fields. During the last one year, the famers have grown around 1,36,000 metric tonnes of additional crops. The value of the crops is estimated at around Tk400 crore.
In a seminar held on Monday at Cumilla Sech (Irrigation) Bhaban, the BADC officials have given the information.
The Irrigation Project in Cumilla, Chandpur and Brahmanbaria Districts under the BADC organized the seminar on Impacts and Results of Irrigation Project in Cumilla, Chandpur and Brahmanbaria districts to Extend Modernised Irrigation Facilities and Next Course of Action to be Taken in Future.
BADC Chief Engineer (Small Irrigation) Shibendra Narayan Gope presided over the seminar while its Chairman Abdulla Sazzad was chief guest. Project Director Mohammad Mizanur Rahman presented the keynote paper.
Among others, BADC Member Directors Majibar Rahman, Md. Ashrafuzzaman, Osman Bhuiyan and Mostafizur Rahman, and Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agricultures (BINA) Cumilla center head Dr. Mohammad Ashikur Rahman also spoke, according to a press release.
According to the keynote paper, implementation of the Tk365.46 crore project was started in 2019 and will be ended this year. In the meantime, the project was implemented in 34 upazilas under the three districts.
Taking the advantage of the irrigation project, the farmers of the upazilas have grown crops in 27,227 hectares of lands. As a result, the lands, which were remained abandoned since last 20 years, were also brought under the irrigation and crops have grown in the lands.
Due to the irrigation facilities, 1,36,135 metric tons of additional crops of around Tk405 crore were grown in the fields.
According to the project director, around 72,719 hectares of lands still remains out of the irrigation facilities. The area should be included under the project to ensure proper irrigation and growing more crops in the field.
BADC Chairman Abdulla Sazzad emphasized on bringing the entire area under the project and ensuring navigability in all rivers under the region by dredging those, so that irrigation water can also be supplied to the fields from the rivers. He also emphasized on eliminating water-logging in the region.
