Worrying weather for robi crops in 2 dists
Unfavourable weather this season is likely to affect potato cultivation in Rangpur and winter vegetable farming in Jhenidah district.
Unusual rainfall and relatively warm weather in this time of the year may have bad impact on the output of robi crops in vast areas of Rangpur, reports our correspondent Rafique Sarker.
Cultivation of potato in Rangpur, the country's second largest potato producing district after Munshiganj, is being delayed due to unexpected rain in November and December.
Other robi crops cultivated in the district include wheat and winter vegetables.
Raining in November and December in Rangpur and Dinajpur region is very rare. There was hardly any rain in the area in this time of the year during last ten years, said Md Atikur Rahman, meteorologist of Rangpur station.
“This year the intensity of cold is less than that of the previous years because of the wide gap between highest and lowest temperature. "When the gap between highest and lowest temperature is little, humidity rises and intense cold prevail. This year it did not happen," he added.
Farmers who have already sowed potato and other seeds are worried apprehending rotting of seeds in rainwater and attack of diseases like early blight. Many of the farmers could not sow seeds as the land turned wet after rainfall.
An estimated area of 52,000 hectares have been targeted for potato cultivation and 8,000 hectares for wheat cultivation in the district this year, according to Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) of Rangpur.
Warm weather is another cause of concern for the farmers.
As per record in the meteorological department of Rangpur, temperature usually begins to fall in mid-November and intense coldness prevails in December and January. But the weather is warmer this year.
Potato and other robi crops grow better in low temperature and foggy weather.
“Unexpected rain this season caused delay in potato cultivation, keeping nearly 50 percent of the targeted land out of potato cultivation till mid-December. Sowing of potato cultivation usually completes within November. This season's target for 1,25,555 tonnes of potato output may remain largely unmet,” said DAE Deputy Director Hasanur Rahman.
Our Jhenidah Correspondent Azibor Rahman reports: Production of winter vegetable in the district is likely to fall this season for lack of adequate rain.
Besides, large areas of land are still occupied by standing jute plants as farmers did not cut those due to want of sufficient water for rotting it.
Consequently, the lands meant for winter vegetable cultivation after the harvest of jute, are still to be available for the purpose.
The farmers in the district in last season produced 1 lakh 5 thousand and 313 tonnes of winter vegetables on 15,640 hectares of land.
But nearly half of the land could not be brought under vegetable farming this season.
The farmers in the district produced 7453 tonnes of tomato, 4535 tonnes of sweet pumpkin, 862 tonnes of bitter gourd, 9105 tonnes of green chilli, 66219 tonnes of onion, 7127 tonnes of garlic, 765 tonnes of green banana and 2,325 tonnes potol in last season, said sources at the Department of Agriculture Extension.
But large areas have still remained occupied by standing jute plants as the farmers could not harvest it in last four months for want of adequate rainfall, they said.
“I had expected to cultivate cabbage on my three bighas (120 decimals) of land and cauliflower on another 60 decimals in the season. But I could cover 90 decimals with cabbage and 40 decimals with cauliflower till now as I could not free my jute plot due to crisis of water for soaking it,” said Sabed Ali, a farmer of Khalishpur village in Moheshpur upazila.
Motiar Rahman, a seed dealer at Kaliganj market said, “One and a half months after the start of cultivation of winter vegetables, the demand for their seeds has remained low in the current season. Hybrid seeds of cauliflower, cabbage, oalkopi, tomato and some other seeds are brought through import. Seeds of radish, spinach, red amaranth, ladies finger, pumpkin, sweet pumpkin etc are mostly produced in the country.”
Due to lack of demand, most of the fertilisers including urea, triple super phosphate, murate of potash are now selling for less than the fixed prices, said farmers and locals.
AED Deputy Director in Jhenidah Ahmed Hossain said, “The area of winter vegetable farming in his district might decrease slightly due to insufficient rainfall and late harvesting of jute plants this year.”
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