Pulse cultivation stressed on

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Dec.18: The Malda agriculture department has stressed to develop cultivation of pulses in this district under the project of National Food Security Mission (NFSM). A month ago the district agriculture officials prepared several schemes for producing pulses like Kallai and Arhar and sent it to the director of agriculture for approval. It may be noted that NFSM on pulses has stressed to produce pulses, oil seeds and cereal. The Malda district has selected to develop areas for pulse cultivation including non-traditional areas like Habibpur and Gazole in Barind belt identified as rain fed zone. According to Dr. T K Sarkar, a senior officer of the Malda agriculture department, pulses are mainly produced in Diara belt particularly Manikchak areas. The islands in the mid stream of the Ganges in Manikchak and Kaliachak produce maximum pulses mainly Moog and Kallai. “Though the Manikchak and Kaliachak areas will be preferred to implement the schemes prepared under NFSM but other areas like Gazole and Habibpur will be coming under the schemes. We have been successful after experimenting production of Kallai pulse, Sarada variety in Gazole,” he said. The prepared schemes are yet to approved. In Kharif season we will be able to implement it if it is approved soon, Dr. Sarkar said. In Manikchak the local pulses produced in islands have great demand in South Indian market for its quality and the local farmers sell it at Rs 40 to Rs 50 per kg. Under the NFSM schemes awareness programmes for farmers on pesticides management and use of bio fertilizers have been suggested. Dr Sarkar said: “use of bio fertilizers and pesticides are yet to be popularised.”According to the Malda agriculture department, a particular area at Noorpur in Manikchak has been selected to build a model bio village, after success at Bomka bio village in Gazole, for producing vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower and tomato.