Vegetables production expected to exceed all past records

Winter vegetables have already flooded the local and urban markets of 11 southern districts under the Barisal Agriculture Extension Zone (BAEZ) this month as the farmers have produced huge quantity of vegetables here this season. According to an official source, farmers have been expecting a super bumper production of vegetables in the BAEZ area this year. In fact the production target is expected to exceed and break all past records. The prices of these crops are also reasonable. A total of 48,333 hectares of land were brought under vegetable cultivation in the BAEZ area with a production target of 7,29,828 tonnes this year. Agriculture Extension Department (DAE), Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC), Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI), NGOs and Bangladesh Krishi Bank (BKB) along with some other commercial banks have supplied adequate quantity of HYV seeds, necessary inputs, fertilisers, insecticides and agriculture loans among the farmers to help them cultivate vegetables. On the other hand, Boro cultivation has also been progressing fast in the BAEZ area this season. According to official sources, a total of 3,41,445 hectares of land were brought under Boro cultivation in the zone with a production target fixed at 19,12,854 tonnes of paddy this season. Of the total, 3,09,275 hectares would be planted with high yielding variety of Boro while 32,170 hectares will have under high yielding local variety. Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) has been selling HYV seeds among the farmers at retail price for boosting productions, the source added. BKB along with different commercial and government banks have been disbursing necessary agriculture loans among poor, small and marginal farmers in the BAEZ as assistance for fulfilling the cultivation target as well as production of paddy.