Bumper wheat yield in Sylhet, Magura

SYLHET, Apr 19: Wheat growers of Sylhet division have achieved a good production this season. A total of 1,569 hectares of land were brought under the farming of the crop in all the four districts. On average the yield stood at 2.72 tonnes per hectare, an official of DAE, Sylhet divisional office, informed on Thursday.

In Sylhet, 2.95 tonnes of wheat have been achieved from 452 hectares of land, in Moulvibazar 3.0 tonnes of crop from 100 hectares and in Habiganj, 2.3 tonnes from 441 hectares and in Sunamganj, 2.84 tonnes of production have been achieved from 576 hectares of land.

Since the harvest is complete, the region's total yield was estimated at 4267.68 tonnes, the official informed further.

Wheat farming has been on a slow in the region since it was almost absent years ago, said additional director of DAE, Sylhet, Md Altabur Rahman. However, the farmers are now showing more interest in farming the popular crop. However, commercial wheat farming is yet to begin in the region, which is still considered a lower crop intensity area in the country.

BARI-25, BARI-26, BARI-27, Sourav, Gourab, Satabdi and Kanchan are the popular wheat varieties in the region, the official added.

Meanwhile, our Magura correspondent adds: Wheat growers of the district have achieved a bumper production this season defeating blast disease.

Sources said newly-harvested wheat has started to appear in the local market. Farmers are even happy over the present market price.

The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Magura, sources said over 4,460 hectares of land were brought under the farming of wheat this season and the total production stands at 13,380 tonnes.

Farmer Osman Goni of Jagla village under Magura Sadar said he cultivated the crop on three bighas of land.  He said he made a profit of Tk 21,000 from the sale of his produce.

Magura DAE official Abdur Rashid said, "We encourage the farmers to expand wheat farming as it is profitable."