Collaborative efforts of all organizations concerned can be the best way of boosting cotton production in the region, including its vast Barind tract, to meet up the existing demands.

There are immense prospects of increasing the cash crop production without hampering the food crops   in the drought-prone Barind area. So, all the line departments and other agencies concerned should come forward and work together.

Agricultural experts, scientists and researchers came up with the observation while addressing a workshop titled "Challenges and Way forwards in implementation of Cotton-based Cropping Pattern in Barind area" on Friday.

Rajshahi Zone of Cotton Development Board (CDB) organized the workshop at the conference hall of Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) discussing and devising ways and means on how to take the cotton production to the cherished level collectively.

Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture Mahbubul Haque Patwary addressed the workshop as chief guest, while CDB Executive Director Dr Fakhre Alam Ibne Tabib was in the chair.

During his keynote presentation, CDB Deputy Director Abu Ilias Mian gave an illustration on the country's scenario of cotton farming and production along with the government plans for boosting the crop production.

BMDA Executive Director Engineer Abdur Rashid, Additional Director of Department of Agricultural Extension Mahmudul Faruque, CDB Soil Nutrition and Water Management Specialist Dr Gazi Golam Mortuza and Principal Scientific Officer of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute Dr Fazlul Islam also spoke.
 
Additional Secretary Mahbubul Patwary said they intended to double the cotton production within the near future, introducing new varieties and expanding cultivation areas, since the country appeared as the second largest consumer of the industrial crop.

The country currently produces around two lakh metric tons a year against the annual demand for 80 tons.

"Cotton could be a major cash crop as we need to spend $3 billion every year for its import to meet its expanding demand in the textile industry," he added.

He told the meeting that the government has taken a decision to provide incentives to the cotton farmers and the incentives will not be limited to seeds but other need-based purposes.

CDB Executive Director Dr Fakhre Alam Ibne Tabib said the trial of germplasm of 12 high yielding Turkish cotton varieties was now underway at research farms.
 
"We are expanding (cotton) cultivation coverage on low-fertile regions of – Barind land, drought-and saline-prone areas, shoals and hilly areas, keeping in mind the initiative does not affect the main crops," Tabib said.
 
He said the CDB scientists developed a new cotton variety naming it "CDB Cotton 19" alongside inventing two cultivation methods under a series of research projects in five cotton research centres of the country.
 
"Our research simultaneously improved the cotton qualities alongside the varieties,"  Tabib said.