The good number char farmers of Sariakandi, Sonatola and Dhunot upazilas in Jamuna River basin are being benefited by producing high-yielding pumpkin varieties commercially in Bogura.

Officials of the local agriculture department say that these have become possible due to the use of modern agricultural machinery and the development of high-yielding varieties.

It has been found that among the 12 unions of Sariakandi, almost all of them are on the banks of Jamuna and Bengali rivers. Bengali and Sukhdah rivers flow in three of these unions. As a result, the huge pastures along the river banks used to remain uncultivated.

Moreover, due to lack of navigability of the mighty Jamuna, Bengali and Sukhdah rivers, huge agricultural land has been created in its basin after silting. Due to lack of water in these farmlands, farmers could not grow their desired crops.

Earlier rainwater was the only hope for growing crops.  But for the last few years, cultivation is being done with water irrigation using diesel or electric plow machines. As a result, farmers are growing various types of crops there without leaving the hot sand of the upazila uncultivated.

Some have started commercial farming in the form of land projects ranging from 50 bigha to 300 bigha on annual contracts. And the farmers are benefiting by bringing these crops home. Many of them have left their children in the city to study in addition to the Char’s house and have also built mature houses there.

Now the Bengali and Jamuna River grazing areas are only crops and crops. These include pepper, corn, and sweet pumpkin, different types of rice, different types of vegetables, kale, sweet potato and round potato, wheat, sesame. Hundreds of unemployed youths of the upazilas are also getting employment due to the sale of these crops. The wheels of the economy are turning.

Sources of Sariakandi Upazila Agriculture Office said that more than 15 to 20 tons of sweet pumpkins are produced per hectare; which is sold in the market up to 50 taka per kg. Almost most of it has been cultivated in pastures.

Moslim Uddin, farmer of Sariakandi upazila, said that last year he cultivated sweet pumpkin on 15 bigha of land. In just three months, he got a profit of 5.5 lakh taka. This year he cultivated sweet pumpkin in 25 bigha land hoping a good profit.

Farmer Harunur Rashid of Sonatola upazila said that farmers are now cultivating crops commercially in the form of land projects ranging from 200 to 300 bighas in Char area. And these are possible due to shallow engine irrigation of high land with the help of ribbon pipe and modern agricultural machinery and cultivation of high yielding varieties of crops.

Rafiqul Islam, a wholesale raw material trader of Sariakandi upazila, said that only depending on the crop of Jamuna fodder, there has been a problem of selling crops in about five areas on the banks of the Yamuna. More than 1000 maunds of various crops are being imported every day.

Sariakandi Upazila Agriculture Officer Abdul Halim said that grassland is not a curse for people now. It is now a boon for the farmers. In our advice, high yielding crops of various varieties are growing in abundance on fertile soil of fodder. Farmers are getting huge profit by selling these crops.

Deputy Director of Department of Agriculture Extension Md Matlubor Rahman said the farmers of char area are very industrious. They are very much interested to take help of the modern technology to grow the crops a grand success. Meanwhile, the field level official of DAE is working round the clock across the district, DD added.