Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzaque has sent demi official (DO) letters to some other ministers to cultivate unused lands of sugar, jute, textile mills and railways to mitigate any possible food crisis. The minister sent the letter to the ministers for Industries, Textiles and Jute and Railways recently, according to a press release. In the letters, Abdur Razzaque requested all seeking personal initiative of the ministers mentioning the opportunity of cultivating food grains, vegetables, pulse and, oil seeds in unused lands owned by different government agencies to fight the food crisis in light of global adversities. He said the initiative can boost the country’s food production and concerned upazila Agricultural Officers of the Agricultural Extension Department will provide necessary assistance in this regard. Read more: Global food import costs near record $2 trillion, hurting poorest The letters said global food production and distribution are facing a challenge due to the Russia-Ukraine war and Covid-19. Along with that price hike of essential materials for food production like fertilizers and fuel have created a fear of food crisis, it said. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has directed to increase the food production and to leave no fallow lands unused to ensure food security, which the Ministry of Agriculture is trying to implement, said Razzaque.

Kamrul Hasan, a farmer from Bagerhat, has found massive success in recent years in cultivating foreign fruits. After racking up revenues of Tk 2.7 million annually selling the yield from his 21-bigha orchard, Kamrul is now thinking of expanding his business by exporting the fruits abroad. Visiting Kamrul’s orchard in Shiyalkathi village under Bagerhat’s Kochua upazila, UNB found the place filled with numerous varieties of local and foreign fruits, including Dragon Fruit, Malta Fruit, Mango, Guava, Lime, Orange, Pineapple, Wood Apple, Sugar Apple, Custard Apple etc. Inspired by Kamrul’s work, many people from the area are joining the fruit farming business. Customers are also coming to the orchard on a regular basis to buy fruits directly from the grower. Read: Drought hampering Aman production in Bagerhat Even the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has dubbed Kamrul a "successful fruit farmer".

Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder on Friday said that the government is working to introduce the mangoes of the Barind region Sapahar to the global market. “Sapahar in the Barind region, which was once out of cultivation, is now cultivating a lot of mangoes. The large mango market is here now,” he said. Also read: Strict action if anyone tries to destabilise rice market: Food Minister The minister made this remark at a workshop on safe production, collection, packing, transportation and marketing of mangoes at Sapahar Upazila Parishad auditorium, said a PID handout here. “The delicious mangoes of this region need to be branded,” he added. Mango growers are being made aware about safe production, marketing and conservation, so that they can deliver safe mangoes to the consumers, said the minister. Also read:Rice cannot be packaged for sale after buying those from open market: Minister “Our aim is to build a healthy, beautiful and talented nation. To that end, the government has enacted the Safe Food Act,” he added, urging consumers to be aware of food safety.

Piranha, a banned fish in many countries including Bangladesh, is being widely sold in different areas of Chandpur. It was learned that the prohibited piranha cultivation was increasing day by day in the fish-paddy farming projects and in local ponds in Faridganj upazila. Many complained that no action was being taken by the administration, in this regard. The fish is being widely sold in Faridganj Sadar Bazar Fish Market, Bhatialpur Chowrasta Fish Market, Gallak Bazar Fish Market and other small fish markets as well. READ: Five jailed for selling piranha at Kawran Bazar Buying it from wholesalers, the retailers were selling the banned fish both in local markets and from door to door in remote areas. Rahim, who sells fish door to door said that the price of piranha was Tk 100 -150 per kg. It tastes like the local brigade fish he says to the customers while selling it. According to doctors, piranhas are so deadly to human health that in many countries there is a provision of jail and fine against those who cultivate and market this fish. Piranha fish farming and marketing is a crime in Bangladesh too. In this regard, Upazila Fisheries Officer Mst. Farhana Akhter Ruma told UNB correspondent that it is illegal to cultivate and sell piranha. Action would be taken in consultation with UNO after the lockdown. Upazila Nirbahi Officer Shiuli Hari said, the piranha fish has been banned by law as it is harmful to the human body. She also said that she would ask the Upazila Fisheries Officer to take immediate action in this regard. READ: Weird ‘living fossil’ fish lives 100 years, pregnant for 5 Piranha originated in the Amazon region of South America. Highly aggressive with sharp teeth, this fish is a threat to other fish and can harm humans as well as the aquatic environment. They are also capable of killing people instantly by attacking in schools.

The moment Abu Taleb tasted the dragon fruit for the first time in his life two years ago he knew he got stuck to it forever. On a sunny day in 2019 his farm in Faridpur treated a visiting foreign team with the pink coloured fruit with juicy flesh and black seeds inside. He and his colleagues had them too. Read: Engineering graduate now a successful dragon fruit farmer That was the day a highly impressed Taleb decided to move to his village at Kamalabari Battala area of Lalmonirhat’s Aditmari upazila determined to go for commercial cultivation of the fruit, that grows from cactus-like plants. Two years down the line the 38-year-old man has developed a dragon fruit garden on three bighas of land from where he hopes to sell fruits worth up to Tk. 10 lakh.   Taleb, head of a 12-member famly, with an average monthly income of Tk. 1 lakh, has so far earned Tk. 4 lakh from dragon fruit and its saplings. Read Alt. Farming: How women in Kurigram augment their households' incomes His start was not as easy as he thought. He had to take several sessions with at local agricultural extension department to learn more about the method of the fruit’s cultivation. He also got useful instructions from farmers who cultivated the fruit in other districts.

These days, farmers in Khulna district are a worried lot. Having grappled with drought and the unrelented heat wave for the past eight months, the farmers fear they may not be able to even recover the production cost of boro paddy this year. Though the farmers are now looking towards the government for some financial help, there has been word from the authorities concerned on the situation so far. "We expected a good harvest, but inclement weather played spoilsport in harvesting this year," said a farmer. Read Countrywide Boro paddy procurement begins In fact, the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Khulna has set a target to produce 57,000 metric tonnes of boro paddy on 57,540 hectares of land this year, of which 21,000 hectares have been brought under the dry season rice cultivation in Dumuria upazila alone. Already, many farmers have harvested their paddy and threshing work is on. Boro is the dry season irrigated rice crop planted between December and early February and harvested from April to June. Also read: Govt to buy 11.50 lakh mts Boro rice

The Rajshahi district administration fixed May 15 to begin mango harvest this year with the Guti variety. The harvest date for harvesting Gopalbhog has been fixed from May 20; Ranipasand and Laxmanbhog from May 25; Khirsapat or Himsagar from May 28; Lengra from June 6; Amrapali, Fazli and Surma Fazli from June 15; and Ashwina and Ashwina-4 varieties from July 10. A meeting at the DC office decided on the dates on Thursday. Read Chapainawabganj mango growers pin hope on weather Strict action will be taken against harvesting unripe mangoes. The administration and police will monitor the harvesting procedures strictly. However, due to the change in weather, if mango ripens in any area before the stipulated time, farmers will be able to harvest them after informing the concerned upazila administration. Rajshahi Deputy Commissioner Md Abdul Jalil said that the harvesting of unripe mangoes was stopped in the last few years by fixing the date of harvest. Read Mango collection to start in Natore from May 20 "Besides, we’ve managed to convince our customers that no chemicals are used to ripen mangoes in Rajshahi," he said. On the other hand, unripe mangoes are falling down from the trees due to continuous heatwaves sweeping across the district. While talking to UNB, many farmers expressed concerns about not achieving the expected yield this year. Read Drought dashes dreams of litchi growers in Kushtia However, the agriculture department has assured that although surplus production might not be achievable this year, there is no doubt about reaching the target.

The arrival of the luscious fruit is a silver lining every summer -- both for the connoisseurs as well as the cultivators of litchi in Bangladesh. However, this litchi season could well turn out to be disappointing, at least for the fruit growers in Kushtia's Khoksha upazila because of something they had no control over -- high temperature and drought. Read Sunflower cultivation in Khulna: Salinity no longer a barrier A number of litchi farmers in the upazila's Gopgram, Satpakhia, Boroi Chara, Basoa, Daskahunia, Manikat villages told UNB that they had high hopes of a bumper crop this summer, a projection based on the healthy flowering of the fruit three-four months ago. But the cultivators said that unfavourable weather had shattered their hopes. They claimed it would be really difficult for them to recover even the production cost this year. Touhidur Rahman, the owner of a litchi farm in Gopgram, said, “A couple of years back, I brought around 20 bighas of land under litchi cultivation. Currently, there are 500 trees in my orchard. But high temperature and inadequate rains have prompted the damage of fruits." Also read: Bumper litchi yield brings smiles to B’baria farmers amid virus worry Last year, he pocketed Tk 3.5 lakh from the sales of litchi. "This year, I may not be able to even recover the production cost of Tk 20,000," the humble fruit grower said. Harez Ali, another grower, said, “I have taken an orchard in Dashkahunia village on lease for Tk 1.80 lakh. At first, I spotted fruits on the 68 litchi trees in the farm. But the unfavourable weather led to cracks on fruits and their subsequent dropping from trees." "I am staring at huge losses this year. The owner of the orchard is also reluctant to return the money," he added. Read Farmers in Bishwanath happy with Boro yield According to the District Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), 103 hectares of land were brought under litchi cultivation in Kushtia this year. Sabuj Kumar Shaha of Khoksha Upazila Agriculture Office, said, “Unfavourable weather may hit a handful of litchi growers in some villages this year, but the production of the fruit in other parts of the upazila is likely to exceed the target set by the authorities concerned.” Read Manirampur farmers making money by broccoli farming

One of the world's most popular health foods that have its roots in South America, quinoa is now being grown in Bangladesh for the domestic market. High in protein, dietary fiber, and amino acids, quinoa is often referred to as the mother of all grains. It is basically a herbaceous annual plant grown as a crop primarily for its edible seeds. Its cultivation has already spread to 70 countries, including the US. Also read: Provide digital cards to farmers: Speakers And in Bangladesh too, after five years of research at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, the cultivation of the rainfed crop has begun in isolated pockets in the districts of Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, and Patuakhali. However, its farming is still at a nascent stage. "Following my application, the Ministry of Agriculture approved the cultivation of quinoa in Bangladesh in September 2020,” Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University's agronomy Prof Parimal Kanti Biswas told UNB. "After five years of research, I have started cultivating quinoa at the field level. The results are expected," he added. Read Manirampur farmers making money by broccoli farming

Salinization of soil is a serious problem in the coastal areas of Bangladesh as it has adverse effects on crop production. Despite the challenge, farmers in Khulna’s coastal areas have shown success in cultivating sunflower in fallow saline land. New possibilities have been created to meet the demand for high-quality sunflower oil.  Farmers are also expecting bumper yields at low cost. Research is underway on sunflower cultivation in the Robi season in the Salinity Management and Research Center of Batiaghata Upazila of Khulna under the Gopalganj-Khulna-Bagerhat-Satkhira-Pirojpur Agriculture Development Project (SRDI Organ). Read Gaibandha women turn problem into profit Sunflower seeds have been sown in wet soil here by the ‘dibbling method’ after harvesting Aman paddy in mid-November.  Then the roots of the seedlings were tied and fertilizer was applied. Three varieties have been used in the study- Local, Bari Suryamukhi-2, and Haisan-33.  Of these, the yield of Haisan-33 variety has been good. According to the chief scientific officer of the Center for Salinity Management and Research, sunflower is the salinity-tolerant crop.  As a result, there is huge potential for sunflower cultivation in coastal areas. Also read: Khulna farmers strike gold with sunflower Vast tracts of land remain unused in the south, after harvesting Aman paddy. It is difficult to grow any other crop easily as there is salinity in the soil and water. By cultivating sunflower through the dibbling method, the fallow land will come under cultivation.