Like in the previous years, many people have begun cultivation of winter crops adopting intercropping methods on char lands this season in Rangpur agriculture region.

Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said char people started sowing crop seed on char lands and dried-up riverbeds following the appearance of shoals with massive deposition of alluvial soils during floods, reports BSS.

Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur region Agriculturist Mohammad Shah Alam said char people have been cultivating various crops on around 90,000 hectares of land in all five districts of the region every year in recent times.

"Hundreds of enthusiastic people are farming crops and tender plants of some crops are growing well on char lands, shoals and silted-up beds of the Brahmaputra, Teesta, Dharla, Dudhkumar, Ghaghot, Jamuna, Kartoa and other rivers in the region," he said.

The landless, poor and marginal farmers living in char and river bank areas generally cultivate potato, pumpkin, brinjal, green chili, onion, garlic and maize, groundnut, 'kawn', 'sesame', tobacco, banana, pulses and watermelon and other crops on char lands every year.

"They will begin harvesting the crops from late December to end the process before the commencement of the rainy season," Alam said.

The flood-affected people of char and riverine areas have put their maximum efforts in cultivating crops on their flood-hit char lands across the region.

Deputy Director (Leave Reserved) of the DAE at Khamarbari in Dhaka Agriculturist Abu Sayem said crop farming is expanding every year on char lands in Rangpur region, mostly adopting intercropping methods, benefiting many char people.

People living in char villages of Gannarpar, Buridangi, Singhimari, Miazipara, Motukpur, Kolkond, Bagdohra, Nohali, Chhalapak and other char areas in Gangachara upazila of Rangpur are busy now in cultivating various crops on char lands.

"Char people, including women, are mostly cultivating potato, sweet pumpkin, onion, garlic, green chili, mustard, pulses and many varieties of winter vegetables on sandy char lands and dried-up beds of the Teesta in these char villages," he said.

Similarly, hundreds of people living in riverine char areas are cultivating a variety of winter crops adopting intercropping methods in many char villages of all five districts in Rangpur agriculture region.

"Getting assistance from the government through the DAE, many char families have already achieved self-reliance through farming various crops on char lands changing their living standard and livelihoods in recent years," Sayem said.

Talking to BSS, Mahbub Hossain, Anwar Hossain and Morsheda Begum of village Paschim Mohipur in Gangachara upazila of Rangpur they are sowing seeds of winter crops on char lands and expecting to get bumper yield this season like previous years.

Residents Abdul Malek and Hossain Ali of Dhushmara Char in Kawnia upazila of Rangpur said they are sowing pumpkin seeds on more char lands this time after earning lucrative profits by selling their produce last year.

Similarly, Jahanara Begum, Aklima Khatun and Akbar Hossain of village Char Montola and Afsar Ali of Char Goynar Patal in Chilmari upazila of Kurigram said they are sowing seeds of various winter crops on more char lands this season.