The sun flower cultivation is gaining popularity in Kurigram district as the best alternative cash crop.

One farmer Nural Haque has been succeed cultivating sun flower instead of other crops. He has cultivated sun flower on his one acre of cultivable land where the attractive flowers are blooming. The whole land has been covered with yellow flowers. Many people come to his land to enjoy the natural beauty.

Additionally, a growing awareness regarding the use of sunflower oil as an alternative to soybean or palm oil is driving many farmers towards cultivating the crop.

While visiting on the spot at Palasbari Hal Majhipara under Kurigram Sadar upazila and found that the farmer Nural Haque 33 has cultivated the eye catching attractive sun flowers. Earlier he cultivated various kinds of seasonal crops including paddy and maize. He cultivated sunflower on his 0.25 acres of land getting seeds and fertilizer from the agriculture office free of cost last year. His cultivating cost was Tk. eight thousand but he earned Tk thirty thousand selling its seed. He cultivated sun flower on his one acre of land collecting more seed from the agriculture office in this year.

He further said it is needed one kg of seed to sow on one bigha of land and it needs low quantities of fertilizer. It produces good yield by low labor than other crops. He is expecting for 80-100 mounds’ yield if the weather is favorable and it is likely to earn Tk. one lakh. He is dreaming to meet up all the expenses of his family.

Kurigram Sadar upazila agriculture officer Nahida Afrin said that to increase oil variety including mustard some 15 hectares of land have been cultivated in Sadar upazila. Seed, fertilizer have been distributed among 85 farmers free of cost in this year and per farmers has been received one kg seed and fertilizer of DAP and MOP 10 kgs. She further said we are working through ‘to increase production of oil variety crop’ project to easy marketing of sunflower seed.

Kurigram Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) official sources said a total of 100 hectares of land have been brought under sun flower cultivation. Of them, some 15 hectares of land in Kurigram Sadar upazila, 10 hectares n Ulipur upazila, 10 hectares of land in Chilmari upazila, 10 hectares of land in Roumari upazila,10 hectares of land in Char Rajaibpur upazia,10 hectares of land in Bhurungamari upazila,15 hectares of land in Nageswari upazila,10 hectares in Phulbari upazila and 10 hectares of land in Rajarhat upazila.