RANGPUR, Dec 4, 2021 (BSS) - Farmers and officials of the Department of

Agricultural Extension (DAE) are expecting a bumper production of winter
vegetables in Rangpur agriculture region during the current Rabi season.

     "Early varieties of winter vegetable have already appeared in local
markets making farmers happy with lucrative prices," Additional Director of
the DAE's Rangpur region Agriculturist Md. Tauhidul Ikbal told BSS today.

     Enthusiastic farmers will continue sowing seeds of some winter
vegetables till January next in all five districts of Rangpur, Gaibandha,
Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari in the agriculture region.

     The DAE has fixed a target of producing 9,62,103 tonnes of winter
vegetables from 41,070 hectares of land for all five districts of Rangpur
agriculture region during this Rabi season.

     "Farmers have already brought 28,410 hectares of land under cultivation
of winter vegetables, 69.17 percent against the fixed farming target across
the region till Friday," he said.

     As a result of different pragmatic steps taken by the government,
including distribution of incentives among farmers, cultivation of vegetables
during winter, summer and Kharif-1 and Kharif-2 seasons has become popular
bringing huge profits to farmers.

     The government through agriculture related departments, organisations
and institutions has taken ample steps to assist farmers in making the
intensive winter vegetables farming programme a complete success in the
region.

     "The DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute, Bangladesh
Agriculture Development Corporation and other organisations provided quality
seeds of winter vegetables, incentives, agri-inputs and technical assistance
to farmers," Ikbal said.

     Besides, commercial banks, including Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank and
some NGOs disbursed easy-term agriculture loans among farmers to assist them
in farming winter vegetables successfully.

     Vegetable trader Hafizur Rahman at Rangpur City Market today told BSS
that many varieties of winter vegetables have already appeared in the local
markets abundantly with lucrative prices benefiting farmers.

     Meanwhile, vegetable traders are exporting huge quantities of the early
varieties of winter vegetables to Dhaka city and other areas of the country
by trucks from different points in the region.

     "Some 150 to 200 trucks loaded with winter vegetables are being sent to
the capital city and other places daily from Rangpur agriculture region,"
vegetable trader Abdul Mazid at Mithapukur Bazar in Rangpur said.

     Farmers Solaiman Ali and Abdul Hamid of Ranipukur village in Rangpur
said they started harvesting and selling winter vegetables like cauliflower,
cabbage, brinjal, 'Korola', 'Potol', bean, 'Jhinga', 'Kakrol', green chili
and other varieties since mid-November last.

     They expressed satisfaction over current excellent market prices of
winter vegetables.

     Senior Coordinator (Agriculture and Environment) of RDRS Bangladesh
Agriculturist Mamunur Rahman Rashid said farmers are continuing cultivation
of winter vegetables both on the main lands and char areas alongside
harvesting early varieties.

     "Cultivation of vegetables is expanding every year following repeated
bumper production with lucrative prices in recent times changing the fortune
of many farmers both on the main lands and riverine chars areas across the
region," he said.