Peasants expect bumper output of lentil in Natore

Hundreds of poor and marginal farmers in Natore district are expecting a bumper lentil output this season.

They have cultivated it well on a wider scale this season considering its lucrative price last season, said sources.

The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) set a target of cultivating it on some 24820 hectares of land with a view to producing 12890 tonnes.

But an adverse weather condition got in its way, resulting in the farming of the crop on 14790 hectares of land only, it said.

The farmers of Boraigram, Gurudaspur, Lalpur, Bagatipara and sadar upazilas of the district are worried as the dense fog, prevailing from the last week, that may affect the crop.

 “I have cultivated lentil on 23 decimals of land spending Tk 4500 and am hoping a better output this season,” said farmer Abdullah Al Kafi (23) of Bagatipara upazila.

“But I’m worried due to the rough weather” Kafi added.

DAE’s Deputy Director Rafiqul Islam said they have provided all sorts of necessary agricultural inputs among the eager farmers to make the cultivation programme a grand success.

The sub-assistant agriculture officers of all blocks are monitoring the root level cultivation system, he added.