The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Rangpur

Farmers have been continuing bumper harvests of all varieties of winter vegetable everywhere in the country's northern region, market sources and Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) officials said.

Following huge-scale early farming of vegetables under the post-flood agri-rehabilitation programmes of the government, all varieties of winter vegetable have now flooded in the local markets with reasonable rates, the sources said.

The DAE, Armed Forces, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute, Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation and many NGOs timely supplied adequate quality seeds, other agro- inputs and necessary technical assistance to the farmers as per direction of the government.

Different commercial banks, including Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank and many NGOs had disbursed agriculture loans, easy- term and interest-free loans among the farmers that made the cultivation of winter vegetables successful during this Rabi season.

The DAE had fixed a target of bringing 7,920 hectares land under vegetables farming in Rangpur, 5,885 hectares in Gaibandha, 4,820 hectares in Lalmonirhat, 5,450 hectares in Nilphamari, 5,560 hectares in Kurigram, 9,817 hectares in Dinajpur, 6330 hectares in Thakurgaon and 3,725 hectares in Panchagarh districts.

The flood-ravaged people in the sandy char areas of Rangpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Bogra and Sirajganj districts have cultivated winter vegetables and many other crops including maize in vast areas in the river basins under the post-flood agri-rehabilitation programme of the government.