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GOPALGANJ, Nov 20: The high-yielding sugarcane variety, Eshwardi-34, is rapidly becoming popular, raising hopes for farmers living in Kasiani upazila in the district.
According to Kasiani Upazila Agriculture Office, a total of 223 hectares of land have been brought under sugarcane farming this year. About 1,115 farmers are involved in this farming with a production target of approximately 20,000 metric tonne (MT).
Kazi Ezazul Karim, Upazila Agriculture Officer (UAO), Kasiani told the FE that farmers have benefited a lot from cultivating 'Eshwardi-34' variety in this region.
Fifty-four-year-old Mansur Sharif, a farmer from village Khairhat in the upazila, said he cultivated Eshwardi-34 on 12 acres of land this year. If the weather conditions remain unchanged, he expects to harvest 12,000 maunds of sugarcane from his field. The total value of his produce may reach Tk 2,880,000 while the farming expenditure is about Tk 720,000, he said.
Talking to the daily, Maharab Hossain, sub-assistant agriculture officer (SAAO) of Kasiani union in the upazila, said cultivation of Eshwardi-34 variety is more profitable, as production cost is low in comparison with the output.
It takes Tk 150,000 to farm 1 hectare land while growers get 90 tonnes of sugarcane which is valued at about Tk 594,000, he said.
Matiar Rahman, 56, a farmer of village Khairhat, said, he has cultivated 'Eshwardi-34' on 11 acres of land this year. If the weather conditions remain favourable, he may receive 11,000 maunds of sugarcane. The value of the produce will be Tk 2,640,000 and the cost is only Tk 660,000.
Abdul Kadir Sarder, deputy director (DD) of Agriculture, Gopalganj told the FE that sugarcane is being cultivated on a total of 317 hectares of land in the district while about 1,585 farmers have engaged in sugarcane farming.
With its consistent yields and profitability, sugarcane cultivation, especially the Eshwardi-34 variety, is transforming the agricultural landscape in the upazila and other parts of Gopalganj, providing a promising future for the region's farmers.