Pulse farming sees rise in Chowgachha

Mugh and maskalai farming sees gradual rise in Jashore's Chowgachha upazila as it brings good profit.

Farmers have cultivated the pulse on vast tracts of land in different unions of the upazila.

The unions include Swarupdah, Narayanpur, Sukhpukuria, Hakimpur, Jagadishpur and Patibila.

The growers are expecting bumper yield due to favourable weather this season.

According to the Upazila Agriculture Office, 550 hectares of land have been brought under mugh dal and maskalai cultivation this year while it was about 450 hectares last year.

Of them, maskalai has been cultivated on 310 hectares of land in the upazila this season.

Last year, 250 hectares of land were brought under maskalai cultivation while mugh dal was cultivated on 200 hectares of land, said an agriculture officer.

Farmers in the areas are showing more interest to cultivate mugh dal and maskalai than other crops due to its lower production cost and good market prices.

Maskalai has mainly cultivated in Fulsara and Singhajhuli unions of the upazila.

Due to the fertility of soil, the cultivation of MasKalai Bari-3 and Mugh Bari- 3 and Bari -4 has increased in the region.

During a visit, it was seen that maskalai has been cultivated on 30 bighas of land at Kadamtala and Madhabpur villages in Swarupdah union of Chowgachha.

Farmer Kajol Hossain in the union said Maskalai cultivation has become very popular among the growers in the area due to its lower production cost and good profit as well.

This year, he has cultivated maskalai on three bighas of land in the Bangla months of Bhadra and Ashwin, said Kajol, a resident of Madhabpur village.

If there is good market price this year, a maund of maskalai will be sold at Tk 3000 in the local market, he added.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Rois Uddin said farmers in the upazila cultivate mugh dal extensively.

But this year, besides mugh dal, maskalai has been cultivated extensively as it is more profitable than other crops, he said, adding that the cultivation is increasing every year.

The officer added that Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute has developed several high yielding varieties of mugh dal like Bari Mugh-2 (Kanti), Bari Mugh-3 (Pragati) and Bari Mugh-4 (Rupsa).

However, the farmers in the upazila have cultivated Bari Mugh-3 and Bari Mugh-4 varieties extensively, he said.