The New Nation - Internet Edition

Soyabean cultivation is gaining popularity among the farmers of sharsha upazila day by day as some 13,075 farmers have changed their fate in last four years cultivating soyabean commercially. The farmers of 23 villages in 11 unions of the upazila are now engaged in soyabean cultivation. The production cost of soyabean per bigha is between Tk 2000 and Tk 2,500. They get seven to eight maunds from per bigha and sell at Tk 1500 per maund. In 1996, an international voluntary organization 'Japan Bangladesh Cultural Exchange Association' promoted soyabean cultivation among the farmers of the upazila. But farmers started cultivation commercially in 2004. The cultivation is increasing day by day. Some 1,234 kgs of soyabean were produced from 8.5 acres of land in 2004-05, 1,600 kgs from four acres in 2005-06, 9,422 kgs from 12.5 acres in 2006-07, 25,000 acres from 56 acres in 2007-08, sources said.

Farmers are cultivating soyabean twice in summer and rainy seasons and achieving good harvest due to its suitable soil and climate.

Country representative of Japan Bangladesh Agricultural Exchange Association Abdur Razzak said that demand of soyabean has increased across the country due to its nutrition value. "And to meet the increasing demand, the government has to import soyabean from abroad spending huge foreign currency," he added.

The country can meet the local demand by locally producing soyabean oil but it is not possible at present due to lack of technological know-how.

"If the government extends support in this regard the country will be able to produce huge edible oil from soyabean," he added.