Rashed, Special Correspondent : The vast banks of the Yamuna are full of various crops in Sariakandi, Bogra. Farmers are profiting by selling the crops. Many now have homes in urban areas in addition to their homes. Local agricultural officials said that these have become possible due to the development of modern agricultural machinery and high-yielding varieties.
All of the 12 unions in Sariakandi in Bogra are near the river. 3 of these unions are crossed by the Bengali and Sukhdah rivers. On the other hand, 6 unions including municipalities are partially and 3 unions completely under the river Yamuna. As a result, the sand flowing with the river has left large pastures uncultivated in this area since ancient times. Besides, due to the lack of navigability of the Yamuna Bangali and Sukhdah rivers, huge agricultural lands have been created in the basins of these rivers. Due to lack of water in these agricultural lands, farmers could not cultivate their desired crops. Rainwater was the only hope for growing crops in the early days. But for the last few years, water is being pumped with diesel or electric-powered plow machines to irrigate the high-lying areas of agricultural land with the help of plastic ribbon pipes. As a result, farmers are growing various types of crops there without leaving the hot sand of the upazila uncultivated. Farmers are now benefiting greatly by cultivating more high-yielding varieties of crops than ever before. Some have started commercial farming in the form of land projects ranging from 50 bigha to 300 bigha on annual contracts. And by bringing home these crops, the farmers are making a profit by building paddy houses in the city as well as forage houses. All you can see in the pastures is crops and crops. Among them, pepper, corn, sweet pumpkin, different types of rice, different types of vegetables, different types of kalai, sweet and potato, wheat, sesame seeds are among them. Hundreds of unemployed youths of the upazila are also getting employment due to the sale of these crops. The wheels of the economy are turning.
According to the information of Sariakandi Upazila Agriculture Office, pepper has been planted on 3,130 hectares of land in the upazila this year among various crops. Maize has been planted on 7,800 hectares of land, breaking all previous records. 130 hectares of sweet pumpkin has been cultivated and threshing is in progress. More than 15 to 20 tons of sweet pumpkins are produced per hectare of land. Which is being sold in the market up to 50 taka per kg. In addition, 200 hectares of wheat, 1,030 hectares of lentil, 530 hectares of muskmelon, 770 hectares of kesari, 914 hectares of groundnut and 15 hectares of sesame have been cultivated. Almost all of it is cultivated in pasture.
Mithu Miah, a farmer of Dighapara Char of Hatsherpur Union, said that last year he got a profit of Tk 10.5 lakh by cultivating sweet pumpkin on 35 bigha land in just 3 months. This year he cultivated sweet pumpkin in 45 bigha land. Like Mithu Mia, Manna Mia has grown sweet pumpkin on 40 bigha, Habibar Mia 70 bigha and Amrul Mia 60 bigha. With money from the profit of fodder crops, they built houses in the fodder area as well as in urban areas. Mithu Mia also said that farmers are now cultivating crops commercially in the form of land projects of 200 to 300 bighas in Char area. And these are possible due to irrigation of high land with the help of shallow engine ribbon pipe and modern agricultural machinery and cultivation of high yielding varieties of crops.
Rafiqul Islam, the wholesale trader of the upazila, said that depending only on the crops of Jamunachar, there have been a market for the sale of crops in about 5 areas of the Yamuna river and in each market more than a thousand maunds of different types of crops are being imported.

Sariakandi Upazila Agriculture Officer Abdul Halim said, grasslands are not a curse for people now. It is now a boon for the farmers. In our advice, high yielding crops of various varieties are growing abundantly on fertile soil of fodder. Farmers are profiting greatly by selling crops produced in grazing areas.