Crops worth Tk 40 thousand crore will produce in char areas in greater Rangpur region.

Saifur Rahman Shamim, Kurigram :

Various kinds of crops worth Tk 35-40 thousand crore are being produced in char areas in greater Rangpur region including Kurigram district every year. The char dwellers are also being supplied around 25 lacs domestic animals. Sometimes they halt in loss due to various natural calamities including sudden flood and drought like situation.

They deprive of fare price from their produced crops due to under developed communication. Several researchers said the chars are the center of food supply in future as the agricultural lands are decreasing gradually. The government should alert among the neglected dwellers of char areas. If the government extend helping hands then the market system will control.

A total of 16 Rivers including the Dharla, Brahmaputra, Teesta, Dudhkumar Fulkumar, Zinzeram, Kaljani and Sonavory are flowing through Kurigram district. The rivers were full of brim with water three months back. Now those have dried up and vast of chars have been developed. The farmers of char areas are developing in green revolution (granary) cultivating and producing crops there. Many char areas are covered with green vegetables.

The farmers of char areas are very busy now. They are taking care all day long there which they cultivated in char areas including potato, garlic, chili, onion, maize,mustured, pumpkin, sweet potato, pulse etc. The crops which cultivated earlier are being harvested and are selling in local markets. The farmers alleged that they cannot reach to the market in time due to disrupted communication in rural areas. Most of the rural roads are unfit for smooth movement. Consequently, they are compelled to sale their products at through away prices in the local markets.

The farmer Babul 55 and Rabiul of village Madaikhal under Kaliganj union of Nageswari upazila in the district told that the distant between char land to main road is five kilometer. They have to carry their products by horse driven cart, pushcart and bicycle. The char dwellers told that they are generally deprived of fare price from their produced crops due to lack of bad  communication. 

The number of char in greater Rangpur region is around seven hundred. The farmers also produce various crops in all the year in these char areas expect dry season. The crops are exporting in many parts of the country meeting local demand. Several char people of Jatrapur union under Kurigram Sadar upazila told that we produce crops facing various natural calamities including flood and drought situation and we are supplying a great part of demand of food in the country. The maize which produce in the char areas may fulfil the demand.

Additional Director of Agricultural Extension of Rangpur region Mohammad Shah Alam told that various kinds of crops are being cultivated on around one lac hectares of land in Rangpur region. Some initiative have been taken with the help of farmers in char areas and the production will be doubled. The crops worth Tk at forty thousand crore will produce and the demand of the country will fulfill. The production of crops are increasing day by day in the char lands. 

The char dwellers are also being supplied cattle meeting local demand. Livestock sources said around 25 lac cattle worth Tk one thousand crore are being reared in char areas every year in the northern areas of the country. But they have to face in sudden flood and river erosion.

Deputy Director of Rangpur Divisional Livestock office Dr. Abu Sayed told that the main livelihood of char people are rearing cattle, goat, buffalo and poultry birds.