The red soil of Madhupur Garh in Tangail has bright potential for cotton cultivation. Cotton cultivation has started since independence in modern agriculture. Along with other crops, cotton cultivation is also being done in red clay Madhupur. Due to the good fertility of red soil, the farmers are getting good yield.
According to Madhupur Unit of Cotton Development Board, 150 hectares of cotton has been cultivated in Madhupur-Ghatail upazila this financial year. In this, 218 people cultivated cotton in two upazilas in demonstration and general way. For this cultivation, the Cotton Development Board is providing fertilizers, seeds, pesticides and other assistance in the exhibition. Again, they are giving loans to the farmers who are cultivating in a normal way for the maintenance of fertilizers, seeds and pesticides. 15/16 maunds of cotton are produced per bigha of land. The price of this crop is determined according to the international market. Last year it was sold at the price of three thousand eight hundred rupees. But there is no problem in selling cotton. The association bought it for cash. The cotton here is sold to Kushtia wholesalers. The seeds are picked with kushtia on one side and cotton on the other side. Cotton is bought by various companies and made into yarn for garments.
On the ground, going to the cotton field of twenty-five miles of Sharif in the forest area of Madhupur, it can be seen that the trees have flowers and cotton bolls. Cotton is grown as a mixed crop in social forestry plantations. Yellow sticky traps and sex pheromone traps are being used in the field. In this, the organically cultivated cotton fields look very beautiful. Flowers and buds are swinging between the leaves. Locals said that cotton is a companion crop in forest plots. He did this farming for extra income. Looks greener and greener. Pollination also results in better cotton boll size. Here, Sharif and his brother Rezaul Karim cultivated 8 bighas of cotton.
Shariful Islam Sharif, the grower of cotton exhibition in twenty-five miles area, said that he took the exhibition and also cultivated cotton on his own initiative. He is cultivating cotton in the social forestry plot of Madhupur forest on 8 bigha land. This year he cultivated for the first time. Sowed the seeds last July. Now the trees are blooming. The cotton ball is hanging on the tree. He has spent Rs 2 lakh so far.
Madhupur Unit Manager of Mymensingh Cotton Development Board. Moniruzzaman said that 218 farmers have cultivated cotton this year in Madhupur and Ghatail upazilas of red clay Madhupur unit. Cotton has been cultivated on 150 hectares of land in this region. Farmers are supported for cotton cultivation. Farmers who participate in the exhibition are provided with whole seeds and other support. Loans are given to ordinary farmers to cover fertilizer seeds and other expenses. After selling the cotton, these loan amounts are deducted. According to him the soil of Madhupur region is suitable for cotton cultivation. Cotton produced in this area is sold in Kushtia.
