China farming gets popular
China farming is growing in popularity among farmers in char areas of the Teesta, Brahmaputra, Dharla and Dudhkumar rivers in Lalmonirhat and Kurigram.
The farmers in chars (land emerged from rivers) earn good profit at low production cost in cultivating the crop.
China's scientific name is panicum miliaceum with many common names including proso millet. It is a very nutritious grain crop and there is a high demand for it for producing poultry feed, cattle fodder and bakery items.
Sandy loam soil is perfect for farming china. China seed is sown from mid-November to mid-January and reaped before the rainy season. Between 15 and 17 maunds (one maund equals 40 kg) of china can be produced on one bigha of land at a cost of Tk 4,000 to Tk 5,000. Each maund is sold at Tk 1,000 to Tk 1,200 at the local markets.
Nabiul Islam, 65, of Teesta river char Nohali in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila, said he has been farming china for the last 15 years and getting expected price for the last five years. “We had to use china as rice seven to eight years, but now we do not use it for family purpose as it has high demand in the market,” he added.
Salamat Ali, 58, of Dharla river char Khatamari, said they were not much interested in farming the crop some years ago for lack of market facility, but now they are keen for its high demand. He said they now profit from china farming with little production cost.
Azizul Islam, 45, of Brahmaputra river Tadiar char in Chilmari upazila, said china is locally used for preparing sweets like nadu, payes and moa. “Many businessmen offer payment in advance for china,” he said, adding that the crop is almost free from diseases.
“We the char people like to take china as a food item as it is nutritious,” said Nazrul Islam, 55, of the char. “We irrigate the field twice and use fertilizer two times, but we never use pesticide in a china field,” he added.
Trader Mofazzal Hossain, 48, at a Astomir char market in the upazila, said they purchase china from the char farmers and sell it to poultry feed mills and bakeries. “A few years ago, we purchased this item for Tk 350 to Tk 400 a maund, which is now up to Tk 1,200,” he added.
District Department of Agriculture Extension Deputy Director Bidhubhushon Roy told this correspondent that china was not a familiar crop to the mainland farmers. The crop has bumper yield in sandy loam soil, but only sandy soil is not enough, so all char farmers are not interested in farming this item, he added.
Comments