High-yielding wheat varieties make Barind growers happy

RAJSHAHI, Apr 09 (BSS): Farmers are now on the final stage of harvesting their cultivated wheat with satisfactory yield in the region including its vast Barind tract thanks to the newly-developed high yielding varieties and technological supports.

"Eighty-five per cent wheat has already been harvested and the rests are expected to complete by this week-end," said Dev Dulal Dhali, additional director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), while talking to the news agency.

He said most of the farmers are satisfied with this season's wheat yield as they cultivated high yielding varieties developed by the Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI).

Agriculturist Dhali said the developed varieties particularly the BARI GOM 28, 30, 32 and 33 are not only resistant to many threats and menaces like drought, blast like disease and weed but also high yielding. So, the varieties have become popular among the farmers.

After taking advantages and opportunities given by the DAE and BARI the farmers are seen increasing the acreage of wheat farming as its demand is gradually mounting with rising of population.

DAE had set a target to cultivate wheat on 1,33,753 hectares of land but the farmers cultivated on 1,37,308 hectares in eight districts under Rajshahi division amidst their rising interests to wheat farming creating scope of producing 0.45 million tonnes of the cereal crop, which is 11,681 metric tonnes higher than the production target.

Arshad Ali, 52, a farmer of Baduria village under Charghat Upazila, has brought 10 bighas of land under wheat farming this year. He got 18 maunds yield per bigha on an average.

Side by side with his own farming he provides power tiller operated machinery services to more than 250 farmers in wheat farming on 400 bighas of lands and earned Tk 500 from per bigha of land as service charge.

Talking to the news agency, Mr Ali said use of machinery in wheat farming is gradually increasing in the region as it contributes to boosting yield.

Sabbir Ahmed, 38, another farmer of Bijoynagar area under Godagari Upazila, said wheat farming is gradually increasing in the area as it's a less-irrigation consuming crop.

Dr Ilias Hossain, principal scientific officer of Regional Wheat and Maize Research Center, said farmers of the Barind area were found more confident in wheat farming on more new lands, due to the water-stress condition, as wheat is a less-water consuming plant.

"We are expanding the developed varieties among the farmers through training, block demonstration and providing inputs in the region," he said adding that BARI GOM 33 is a zinc-fortified breed.