RAJSHAHI, Feb 14, 2022 (BSS) - Experts have urged the farmers to cultivate

non-conventional high-valued fruits and medicinal and cereal crops as well.

  In the present changed situation, the grassroots farmers should be
habituated in farming the high-valued non-conventional crops and fruits for
improving their living and livelihood conditions, they opined.

  The agricultural scientists and researchers came up with the observation
while addressing a field day meeting to demonstrate fields of sweet corn and
beans (kidney bean, French bean) at Talanda village in Tanore Upazila of the
district yesterday.

   Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) organized the meeting
under its project titled "Popularizing of High Valued Unconventional Fruit
and Medicinal Crop in the Barind Area".

   Around 30 farmers joined the meeting and they were given knowledge on how
to farm the high-valued fruits and crops.

   BMDA has been implementing the five-year project in 13 upazilas of
Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj and Naogaon districts at a cost of around Taka
17.34 crore since early last year.

   Executive Director Engineer Abdur Rashid and the Project Director ATM
Rafiqul Islam addressed the meeting as chief and special guests respectively
with Executive Engineer Zinnurine Khan in the chair.

  Principal Scientific Officer of Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute
Dr Saedur Rahman spoke as focal person.

  Corn needs less water and it is more profitable than other crops in the
area, Rahman said.

  Rafiqul Islam gave an illustration of the project along with its aims,
objectives and implementation strategy.

   He said around 52 demonstration orchards will be generated aimed at
boosting production of high-valued non-conventional fruits and medicinal
crops through popularizing farming of those in the Barind area.

  Around 4.15 lakh saplings and 2,000 kilograms of seeds of nonconventional
fruits and crops will be distributed among the farmers free of cost on behalf
of the project to increase such orchards.

   Some 1,500 farmers and 310 officers and employees concerned will be
imparted training on production, transplantation, nurturing and other
techniques of the seedlings.

   Rafiqul Islam said the project is being implemented with the main focus of
boosting commercial farming of the high-valued fruits in the project-covering
areas.

  "We've set the target of establishing 22 orchards for fruits, 20 for field
crops, eight for spices and two for beverages," he said, adding that most of
the highly valued nonconventional fruits, field crops, spices and herbs will
be brought under demonstration.

   Upon successful implementation by June, 2025, the project is expected to
contribute a lot to enhance the number of orchards of nonconventional fruits
and medicinal crops.