Sunflower farming experiences a surge in four Chandpur upazilas

April 13: Sunflower cultivation has reached a strikingly burgeoning height in four upazilas of Chandpur district in recent times thanks to different inspirational moves taken by the agriculture department.

Farming of the oilseed is becoming increasingly popular among the farmers of Matlab Uttar Upazila (which is located inside the M-D Irrigation Project), Chandpur Sadar, Kachua and Hajiganj upazilas under the influence of different motivational efforts put up by the local agriculture department officials.

On the contrary, despite having fertile land and congenial natural environment for growing sunflower, it is not becoming possible for other upazilas of the district to raise cultivation of the crop.

Insiders said in the current season, sunflower has been cultivated in all the 14 unions and one municipality area of Matlab Uttar upazila.

A total of 35 farmers have grown the crop in Matlab Uttar upazila. They sowed seeds in December last and it is time to harvest home sunflowers.

A total of seven hectares of land were brought into sunflower farming in the upazila.

Farmers have got a bumper yield of sunflower in Matlab Uttar this season, said the upazila agriculture officer.

Talking to the FE, an enterprising farmer, Jashimuddin Mia (27), a resident of Dewanjikandi village, and another farmer Abu Taher, 50, a resident of Nedamdi village under Jahirabad union , said they have cultivated sunflower in a vast area of land, getting inspired and guided by Upazila Agriculture Officer Faysal Mohhammad Ali who provided them and many others with seeds as incentives from the government stock.

They both added they had been benefitted last year due to bumper yield of sunflower.

This year, there being no natural calamities and the soil being very suitable for sunflower cultivation, they are hopeful of getting a bumper harvest.

They will be immensely financially benefitted by selling sunflower oil and the branches of the plants as fuel or fodder to the farmers.

According to Matlab Uttar upazila Agriculture Officer Foysal Md Ali, the farmers have been given sunflower seeds as a government incentive.

He says sunflower oil is a cash crop for the farmers. It can be harvested after 100 days of sowing seeds when plants get mature.

Cultivation of sunflower needs a small amount of fertilisers and irrigation for two times daily.

Its oil can easily be crushed out of the seeds and oozed by the mustard oil machines, as is commonly seen in the local marketplaces. The oil is cholesterol free. It enhances strength and power in the human body. It is enriched with vitamins, which are absent in other types of edible oil.

A farmer needs a small capital (around Tk45,000) to grow this crop on one acre land and later becomes benefitted immensely. Narrating his success story, Jashiimuddin said a farmer has to spend around Tk45,000 for cultivating sunflower on one acre land and after 100 days, when the crop gets mature, it is harvested and oil is extracted through mustard oil machine.

Thus a farmer gets approximately Tk80,000 as profit from one acre of land deducting all expenses. As a result, he adds, he will grow this crop in the coming year too.

Besides, after crushing and oozing oil, the oil cake is sold at Tk 50 per kg. The rest part of sunflower plant is used as fuel and fodder.

Talking to the FE, the upazila agriculture officer said he has a plan to bring around 14 hectares of land into sunflower cultivation in the coming season so that many more farmers may be involved and benefitted economically.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) Chandpur, a total of 32 hectares of land have been brought under sunflower cultivation in the district this season. The yield has been achieved by 90 per cent.

In Sadar upazila, sunflower was cultivated on five hectares of land and the total yield got was 7.5 million tonnes.

Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer Tapan Roy said sunflower has been cultivated in Char Ibrahimpur, Ashikati, Hanarchar, Shah Mahmudpur, Kalyanpur, Raj Rajeswar and also in a few other areas of the upazila. The yield has been satisfactory, he added.

In Kachua upazila, seven hectares of land has been brought under this crop's cultivation and the total yield is 10.5million tonnes.

Contacted, Upazila Agriculture Officer Sofayel Ahmed told the FE, "The yield is satisfactory this time. Around 90 per cent sunflower has been harvested home so far."

In Hajiganj upazila, four hectares of land has been brought into sunflower farming and the yield is 7.0 million tonnes. Upazila Agriculture Officer Dilruba Khanam said the yield has been satisfactory because the soil is suitable for sunflower cultivation.

maayerbadhon@gmail.com