Soybean cultivation in Lakshmipur. Photo: BSS

LAKSHMIPUR, March 15, 2025 (BSS) - As the weather and soil of this coastal
district are suitable for soybean cultivation, the farmers are leaning
towards soybean cultivation during the Rabi season.

Soybeans are cultivated in those lands where Boro paddy is not cultivated.
The cost of cultivating soybeans is lower than the production of other crops.

There is a special demand for the important oilseed crop in various
livestock-making factories as a result, prices are rising every year.

The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has set a target to produce
soybeans worth about Taka 400 crore in the district this season.

About five percent of the country's soybeans are produced in this district
and that is why Lakshmipur is called 'Soyaland'.

The cost of cultivating soybeans is lower than the cost of producing other
crops including paddy and soybean cultivation increases the fertility of the
soil also.

The DAE has set a target to cultivate soybeans on 42,000 hectares of land in
the district but exceeding the target while farmers cultivated soybeans on
43,660 hectares of land with a production target of 88,000 tonnes.

Most of the soybeans are cultivated in Ramgati, the coastal upazila of the
Meghna river. Soybeans have been cultivated on 17 hectares of land here. In
Kamalnagar upazila, farmers cultivated soybeans on 12,500 hectares of land
while 7,500 hectares in Sadar upazila and 6,650 hectares of land brought
under Soybeans cultivation in Raipur upazila.

Mostafa Kamal, a farmer in Char Ramani area under Sadar upazila, told BSS, "I
have cultivated soybeans on 40 decimal of land, spending Taka 13,000. I hope
I will get 30 mounds of soybean from the land which market price is around
Taka 2,000 per mound."

"I cultivate soybeans every year instead of other crops and get higher profit
than those," he said.

"Last year, I sold soybeans worth Taka 49,000 at the rate of Taka 2200 per
mound. This year, I am hoping to sell soybeans for Taka 50,000 to 60,000."

Mizan Munshi, a soybean farmer of Moti Hat in Kamalnagar upazila, said that
cultivation of soybean takes less fertilizer while cultivating Boro paddy or
other vegetables requires a lot of fertilizers and pesticides.

It does not require irrigation for this reason, soybeans are cultivated in
those lands where water does not have irrigation sources.

Deputy Director of the DAE Sohel M Shamsuddin Firoz said farmers are
benefiting from cultivating soybeans. Last season, the soybeans of Taka 300
crore were produced in the district. The target of the production of Taka 400
crore has been set in the current season.

He said the department provided advanced varieties of soybean to the farmers
including BINA 5, BINA 6, Bari 4, Bari 6, BU 3, BU 4, BU 5.