Chilly cultivation gaining at char areas in Narsingdi

Chilly cultivation is gaining ground in Narsingdi char areas. Successful yield of chilly brings substantial amount of money to the farmers.

About 1,000 poor farmers in the river basin 20 char villages of Sadar, Belabo and Raipura upazilas of the district have involved themselves in chilly cultivation for long years achieving economic self-reliance.

According to Department of Agriculture extension (DAE) office Narsingdi about 1,000 acres of fertile char lands mainly in three upazilas of the district have been brought under chilly cultivation this year. 

The lands beside the Meghna and Arial Khan rivers were filled with silt (Palli) earth during the monsoon which is favorable to the chilly farming.

BSS correspondent recently visited the char villages of Sadar, Belabo and Raipura Upazilas and saw farmers are busy plunking of chilly from the fields with much enthusiasm. 

Abdul Kader a farmer of Mirja char village of Raipura upazila talking to BSS said four to five mounds of green chilly might be plunked from a bigha of land in a week. He said during the whole season chilly may be plunked 10 to 12 times from a land.

Abdul Kader said he had undergone hard days along with his family members before ten years ago as the Meghna devoured his lands. 

He said he was devastated periodically and started cultivating chilly by taken leased two bighas char lands at production cost of Tk 5,000. 

He got over 76 mounds of green chilly and earned about net profit Tk 65,000 by selling green and dry chilly in every year.

He expressed his happiness over the farming of chilly during the last ten years and told economic prosperity brought him social recognition, a number of farmers in different upazilas of the district narrated their success story in cultivating chilly.

Deputy Director, DAE Narsingdi Lotafat Hossain said with the necessary help and logistic support of the Department of Agriculture Extension huge quantities of chilly are being produced in 20 char villages of Narsingdi Sadar, Belabo and Raipura upazilas of the district.

He said chilly farming have brought about a revolutionary change in the char economy of the district.

Source: BSS.