TBT DESK: As the weather and soil of this coastal district are suitable for soybean cultivation, the farmers are leaning towards soybean cultivation during the Rabi season.
Soybeans are cultivated in those lands where Boro paddy is not cultivated. The cost of cultivating soybeans is lower than the production of other crops.
There is a special demand for the important oilseed crop in various livestock-making factories as a result, prices are rising every year.
The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has set a target to produce soybeans worth about Tk 400 crore in the district this season.
About five percent of the country's soybeans are produced in this district and that is why Lakshmipur is called 'Soyaland.'
The cost of cultivating soybeans is lower than the cost of producing other crops including paddy and soybean cultivation increases the fertility of the soil also.
The DAE has set a target to cultivate soybeans on 42,000 hectares of land in the district but exceeding the target while farmers cultivated soybeans on 43,660 hectares of land with a production target of 88,000 tonnes.
Most of the soybeans are cultivated in Ramgati, the coastal upazila of the Meghna river. Soybeans have been cultivated on 17 hectares of land here.
In Kamalnagar upazila, farmers cultivated soybeans on 12,500 hectares of land while 7,500 hectares in Sadar upazila and 6,650 hectares of land brought under Soybeans cultivation in Raipur upazila.
Mostafa Kamal, a farmer in Char Ramani area under Sadar upazila, said, "I have cultivated soybeans on 40 decimals of land, spending Tk 13,000. I hope I will get 30 mounds of soybean from the land at a market price of around Tk 2,000 per mound."
I cultivate soybeans every year instead of other crops and get higher profit than those, he said.
Last year, I sold soybeans worth Tk 49,000 at the rate of Tk 2200 per mound. This year, I am hoping to sell soybeans for Tk 50,000 to 60,000.
Mizan Munshi, a soybean farmer of Moti Hat in Kamalnagar upazila, said that cultivation of soybean takes less fertilizer while cultivating Boro paddy or Other vegetables require a lot of fertilizers and pesticides.
It does not require irrigation for this reason, soybeans are cultivated in those lands where water does not have irrigation sources.
Deputy Director of the DAE Sohel M Shamsuddin Firoz said farmers are benefiting from cultivating soybeans. Last season, soybeans of Tk 300 crore were produced in the district. The target of the production of Tk 400 crore has been set in the current season.
He said the department provides advanced varieties of soybean to the farmers including Veena 1, Veena 1, Bari 3, Bari 3, BU3, BU3, BU 3.