Sunflower farming prospects bright in Rajshahi barind

News Desk: Prospects of sunflower farming are very
bright in the Rajshahi region including its vast Barind tract as its soil texture
and climatic conditions suitable for cash crop farming.

Sunflower is one of the less-water consuming crops so the farmers are seen
very much interested in its farming in the dried Barind area.

Meanwhile, the eye-blowing growth of sunflowers has delighted farmers because
present farming conditions have generated a prediction of bumper production
of the cash crop in the region during the current season.

The farmers are seen adjudging the present farming as a flying start as most
of them cultivated sunflower commercially for the first time in the region
after getting seed as an incentive from the government.

Muhammad Rentu, a farmer of Malsadanga village under Godagari Upazila, has
cultivated the crop on three bighas of land and he is very much hopeful about
a good output. He is expecting five to six mounds yield of sunflower seed
from per bigha of land.

Rentu told BSS that many of his co-villagers also cultivated the crop for
the first time with the hope of getting the extra benefit. They will start harvesting
the crop within the next couple of weeks, he added.

Sunflower seed is sold at Taka 700 to 800 per kilogram in local markets at
present.

Atanu Sarker, Sub Assistant Agriculture Officer, said around 50 bighas of
lands have been brought under sunflower farming only in Dewpara Union under
Godagari Upazila during the current season.

More lands are expected to be brought under the cash crop farming in next
seasons if the farmers were benefited from the farming, he added.

He mentioned that many of the lands remained fallow after harvesting transplanted Aman paddy due to water scarcity every season. Amazingly, the
farmers availed the scopes of recouping the losses through sunflower farming
on the fallow lands.

Talking to BSS Sirajul Islam, Additional Director of the Department of
Agriculture Extension (DAE), said farmers have cultivated sunflower on 1,107
hectares of land in all eight districts under the Rajshahi division during the
current season.

Each of 9,000 farmers was given one kilogram of high yielding seeds as
the incentive for the cultivation of the crop on one bigha of land each in the
division.

Anisar Rahman, a farmer of Madandanga village of Kalikapur union
cultivated sunflower last year and got a bumper yield. This year, many others
cultivated sunflowers to get a good profit. Farmers of the area hope they
will get a bumper yield if the weather remains in favor of them.

“Sunflower cultivation is not new in our country. We have provided free
seeds and fertilizers to motivate the farmers. They are hoping to get a good
harvest this year,” said Dijendranath, Deputy Agriculture Officer of Atrai
Upazila.

Sunflower cultivation has got momentum in the area as farmers are
expecting a good profit from the cultivation this season. The sunflower
fields are similar to a large yellow veil on the ground.

Thousands of sunflowers offer a charming environment to the people as well
as the environment. Locals and tourists often visit the fields of the
sunflower to enjoy the stunning scenario. Many people were seen passing busy
time taking photos and videos on the ground.

More than 300 bighas of farmland are being used for sunflower cultivation
in Atrai Upazila. A vast amount of char lands and abandoned lands on the bank
of Jamuna River are also being used for cultivating sunflowers.

The farmers of the area have expressed their satisfaction and hoped to get
a good result from sunflower farming. Many people have been working as day
laborers in the fields. It creates employment for them.

Several pieces of land were full of yellow color as there was a very good
yield of sunflower this year. The farmers want to change their fate from this
as there is a huge demand for sunflower seeds and oil in the markets.