Lentil cultivation in Barind tract on the rise

RAJSHAHI, Jan 9: Lentil cultivation is increasing day by day in the vast Barind tract here as it requires less cultivation and irrigation cost compared to paddy cultivation.
Besides, farmers are showing more interest in lentil cultivation since they got quick profit from it in the last couple of years.
The farmers here especially at Godagari and Tanore upazilas have to spend much for irrigation in paddy farming, but lentil cultivation needs less irrigation. Hence, they incur loss in paddy cultivation every year.
Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Rajshahi Abdul Alawol said, "Due to climate change, the groundwater level has gone down. Earlier, water was available in tube-wells at 35 feet deep, but now it has reached at 120 to 140 feet. As a result, the farmers have to spend extra in paddy cultivation, but they can save the cost in cultivation of Rabi crops like lentil, wheat, onion, garlic, potato, vetch and some other crops."
Godagari Upazila Agriculture Officer Toufiqur Rahman said, "The farmers here have cultivated lentil in around 6,400 hectares of land this year but they cultivated over 3,000 ha in the previous year. Following the hike in irrigation cost for paddy farming, the farmers are now cultivating different Rabi crops."
While talking with The Daily Observer, Imran Ali, a farmer of Rail Bazar area in the upazila said, "I cultivated lentil in two-bigha land this year without spending extra for irrigation. A farmer can get four to five maunds of lentil from per bigha of land. One maund of lentil is now selling at Tk 3,800 to 4,000 in local markets."
Deputy Director of the DAE in Rajshahi Deb Dulal Dhali said, "The farmers cultivated lentil in the Bengali month of Agrahayan and will harvest the produce in another Bengali month of Falgun."
He further said, "The growers here are showing more interest in lentil cultivation as it does not need much irrigation cost. Besides, they got abundant production in the last few years."