Agri minister calls for more oilseed farming on shoals

Agriculture Minister Muhammad Abdur Razzaque has recommended cultivating more soybean, sunflower and mustard oilseeds on riverbed fallow lands.

"Oilseed cultivation costs are lower than the typical crops, while the profit is higher. The government will provide seeds, fertilisers, technology and training to farmers who will opt for oilseed cultivation on char-region fallow lands," the minister said Sunday after visiting oilseed farms in Noakhali's Subarnachar.  

Abdur Razzaque said Bangladeshi researchers have developed several high-yielding and short duration paddy varieties, and urged the farmers to cultivate oilseeds soon after harvesting the food staple.    

He said the authorities are working on irrigation, seed and fertiliser distribution making the oilseed farming more accessible for farmers.   

The minister said salinity is one of the major farming challenges in coastal areas, as researchers have developed a number of salinity-tolerant crop varieties.    

"A number of crops such as pumpkin, watermelon, sunflower, sweet potato and soybean grow well in saline areas. Each and every piece of fallow land in char-region should be brought under cultivation by including the crops in the cropping pattern."

Journalists asked the minister whether rice prices would spike following India's export ban on wheat and crop loss by Boro farmers.

Abdur Razzaque said Boro paddy has been cultivated on 90,000 hectares of land than the target, while the crop loss in haor areas is minimal. "We will get the expected Boro yield, and therefore, rice prices are unlikely to be affected."

He said mill owners are buying more paddy thanks to the Ukraine-Russia conflict and India's latest export ban on wheat, deterring rice prices from calming down even in this peak paddy harvesting season.