The Crime Desk: Garlic is being planted on the mud in the same land after harvesting. This year, the Regional Agriculture Office has set a target of 39,604 hectares of garlic cultivation in eight districts of Chalanbil. However, compared to other years, the total expenditure of the farmer on garlic cultivation has increased.
The farmers of this region told Ittefaq that despite the increase in the overall cost of irrigation, fertilizers, pesticides, seeds, and labor, the interest of the farmers in garlic cultivation has increased due to good prices last year and the benefit of the companion crop watermelon and bangi.
According to the information provided by Rajshahi and Bogra Regional Agriculture Office, in the current season, there is a target of planting garlic on 28 thousand 185 hectares in four districts of Rajshahi region and 11 thousand 419 hectares in four districts of Bogra region. Among them, 5 thousand 520 in Rajshahi, 765 in Naogaon, 3 thousand 700 in Chapainawabganj, 18 thousand 200 in Natore, 600 in Bogra, 287 in Joypurhat, 9 thousand 632 in Pabna, and 900 hectares in Sirajganj are being cultivated.
According to the calculations, in Rajshahi and Bogra regions, 51 thousand 433 hectares in the 2021 season, 44 thousand 469 hectares in the 22 season, and 37 thousand 570 hectares in the 23 season, garlic has been cultivated in Binahal. In these 3 seasons, the production of garlic has been 11 lakh 44 thousand 707 metric tons.
It has been found that this year, 10,000 per bigha for land lease, 5,000 for fertilizers and pesticides, 30,000 for seeds, 8,000 for labor, and a total of 53,000 rupees are being spent on planting garlic alone. Last year, this cost was between 42 and 45 thousand.
Chalanbil farmers Emon Sarkar, Mahbur, Gafur Sarkar, Ashraful, and Moin Uddin said that most of the farmers planted garlic with loan money. But the price of garlic rises almost every year. Still, according to last year’s calculations, the yield of garlic was obtained at an average rate of 20 to 22 per bigha at a cost of 45,000 taka per bigha. They have also benefited financially, as the market price is good. They hope for a bumper yield of garlic if the weather is favorable, even if the cost is a little higher this season. At the same time, the farmers are dreaming of profit in the same crop, watermelon-bangi, in the garlic land at the same cost.
The Agriculture Office says, ‘Garlic planting has already started in Natore’s Gurdaspur, Singra, Baraigram, Pabna’s Chatmohar, Handyal, Sirajganj’s Tarash, and Raiganj areas. Apart from planting garlic, the people of this region are busy breaking garlic.
Additional Director of Rajshahi Regional Agriculture Department and Additional Director of Bogra Sarkar Shafiuddin said, ‘Garlic cultivation in Binhal has become popular for the last 15 years in Chalanbil region. Cultivation of watermelon bangi as a companion crop in the same land after planting garlic on mud is turning the wheel of fortune of the farmers in the region. There is a target for garlic cultivation on more land than the target this year, especially due to good prices last season. Even if the weather is favorable, the farmer will get a good yield of garlic this year too.
