Rezaul Karim Raju, an expatriate farmer living in America, has succeeded in growing the super food quinoa on 70 decimals of land in Lalmonirhat for the first time. Farmers in the northern district are finding their feet through the new crop. Quinoa, a North American grain crop, is used to make high-protein food.

Rezaul Karim Raju, who started quinoa farming in Lalmonirhat, is the son of Altaf Hossain of Fakirpara union in Hatibandha upazila. He was inspired after seeing quinoa grown while he was in America. On returning to Bangladesh he collected 2 kg of seed from Panchagarh and began growing it on about 70 decimals of land.

"I saw quinoa being grown while I was in America," Raju said. "After coming home I learnt how to grow it from YouTube. The first time I grew it on 70 decimals. The crop has been cut and threshing is under way. The yield is good; it will come to 4-5 maunds a bigha. It is very easy to grow. It sells for Tk 600-700 a kg in the market. With a cost of around Tk 15,000-20,000 a bigha, it is possible to earn a lakh taka."

According to the Lalmonirhat office of the Department of Agricultural Extension, quinoa is a short-duration crop, a rabi-season grain with white, red and black seeds. In 2021-22 it was grown in the Mohendranagar area of Sadar upazila. Because the local soil and weather are good, yields have met expectations. The agriculture department hopes farmers will one day turn from tobacco to quinoa.

Local resident Sohag Hossain said: "We were not familiar with this crop. We learnt that it fetches a high price and is in great demand. They say eating it makes you feel less hungry, and aeroplane pilots eat it. We came to the field and saw the crop, and it has grown beautifully. I will try to plant it on my land in future."

Akbar Ali said: "I was passing by the field and thought it was bathua greens. What would anyone do with so much bathua? Then I saw grain growing in clusters at the tops of the plants. They say it is quinoa. If the crop is profitable, we will grow it in future."

Soleman Ali said: "I have heard the crop can be harvested in three months, with a yield of 4 maunds a bigha. At Tk 20,000 a maund, getting Tk 80,000 from 4 bighas would be a big profit. I am looking after Raju bhai's quinoa field."

Hatibandha upazila agriculture officer Sumon Mia said: "Rezaul Karim Raju of Hatibandha, who lives in America, is seeing success growing quinoa for the first time. It is new to the district. The agriculture department is helping him, and we have visited the field. We will encourage farmers to expand cultivation in future."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.