JHENIDAH. June 5 Sunflower cultivation is becoming popular day by day In our coun-tiy. It's prospect Is undoubtedly bright like other countries if it is cultivated widely. Good amount of foreign currencies may be earned every year, said on agriculture scientist.
According to the scientist, in Russia, South America. Argentina. Europe. Rumania. India and Pakistan it has been cultivating abundantly • on commercial basis for fast about 15 years. To survey the prospect of sunflower as oil seeds In Bangladesh research was started in 1979. After three years National Seed Board approved a variety namely "Klroni". This was approved after grading from a variety titled as 'Aldopoiexy'' from Poland.
Sunflower has been cultivating in our country In demonstration plots since 1985. Through demonstration plots it has been proved to the agriculture scientist that It has a bright prospect in our country as oil seeds.
The per acre output of sunflower is much more than mustard and groundnut.
Due to this the cultivation of
' sunflower is becoming popular among the fanners. Further, It m^y be cultivated rabi and monsoon seasons, that is two crops may be cultivated in a year.
The scientist opined sunflower contains 55 per cent of Limonic Acid which is helpful for human body. Further there Is no Erosic Acid in sunflower though It is remained in mustard. Erosic pcid is injurious to human health, he opined. Sunflower seeds may be crashed in local mills or electric expellee and Its baggas may be used as the food of cows, goats, ducks and hens. Further the production cost of sunflpwer is 30 to 35 per cent lesser than that of mustard or groundnut. It may play vital role if the cultivation is done with confidence.. the scientist hoped.
According to the agriculture scientist, agriculture extension department started cultivation of sunflower In 1990 In a small scale. In 1993-94 more than 100 aerfs of land was brought under sunflower cultivation In Jhenidah district and 150 acres In Bagharpara thana of Jessore district.
A silent bargaining is prevailing over the consumption of sunflower as edible oil in the
country which— would be stopped without further delay as it is baseless, said the sci-ent)3Ut 5 lakh metric tons of edible oil is required for our country every year. Another section says, the quantity is actually 7 lakh metric tons.
According to a statistics mlntihum requirement of edible oil is 7 grams per head everyday and on the basis of this statistics 6 lakh 22 thousand 2 hundred 50 metric tons is required every year to meet the requirement. The country ha^ to import edible oil spending valuable foreign currencies.
In 88 lakh 53 thousand 9 hundred 5 hectares of cultivable land is used for cultivating sunflower, soybean, imis-tard. tishi and groundnut, the country might be self-sufflcierit In producing oil seeds as we meet the necessity Importing 80 per cent soybean and palm oil and the rest 20 per cent mustard seeds.
The source said, about 20 -years ago we had to import mustard from Canada, now a good quanUty of mustard seeds being produced in the country and if the people are motivated to culUvate the sunflower, we may fulfill our demand within very short Ume.