Saturday, June 15, 2019

Cassava Cultivation in Lalmai Cumilla


Cassava is a root vegetable which is similar to sweet potatoes. It is a tuber crop like potatoes and yams. The Latin name of cassava is Manihot Esculenta. It is the underground part of the cassava shrub. People can also eat the leaves of the cassava plant. Cassava is grown in most agro-ecological zones of Ghana and it is a major staple in West Africa. Cassava is the raw material for some industrial products.

The economy of Lalmai region under Cumilla district can change for Cassava. Comilla Sadar South Upazila Agriculture Officer Mohiuddin Majumder said, Cassava which is also known as ‘Wood Potato (Kath Alu)’ is good yield on Lalmai hills. He also said that he will talk to the senior authorities about how to help the local farmers in the agricultural sector to produce more Cassava in this hilly region.

The Cassava plant has been cultivated for many years in the hills of Lalmai region. The economy of Lalmai Hills area can be changed due to cultivation of cassava. Now to develop this production the public and non-governmental integrated enterprises need to work together.


According to the information from Agriculture Department, 6 to 7 tons of cassava can be produce from every acre of land. Cassava can be used to prepare glucose, barley, suji, bread, noodles, crackers, cakes, breads, biscuits, papor, chips and other varieties food items. In addition, starch made from cassava is also used in the textile and pharmaceutical industry. Organic fertilizers are made with leaves and the rest of the leaves of Cassava plant.



Cosmetic Starch is required 0.3 million tons per year in the garment industry, pharmaceutical industry and food processing industry in Bangladesh. But presently in the country the total production of Cassava is only 5 to 6 thousand tons a year. The rest are imported from different countries including India, Thailand and Vietnam and other countries.

This is the season of Cassava. So, farmers are busy on harvesting in different areas including Kotbari, Salmanpur, Jammura, Hajir Khamar and Lalmai area. Cassava is coming out of red soil in the hands of the farmer. After being cleaned, these Cassavas lift up on the truck. The roots of the plants are transformed into Cassava.

A farmer from Lalmai said that he used to cultivate other vegetables before. Due to varieties diseases, the crop was less. Now he is cultivating cassava because the disease is less. Less fertilizer and irrigation takes less capitalization.

One of the farmers of the village Jammura of Sadar upazila of Lalmai Hill said that he has been cultivating Cassava for last 13 years. He said that his family had cultivated this crop for a few decades till now. He has cultivated cassava in 50 acres of land. It costs BD taka 25 thousand per acre. If you get good yield, then Cassava on every acre can sell BD Taka 30 thousand.


In our country, the indigenous people of Garo Hills, Haluaghat, Madhupur in the greater Mymensingh, Netrokona, Sylhet, Lalmai Hills in Cumilla and Chittagong Hill Tracts cultivate small quantities of Cassava locally. Some Private Company of the country collects these cassavas as raw materials for different industrial use.

Lalmai hills are very ideal for harvesting Cassava. At present there are only few buyers of Cassava in the country. Some private companies collect this crop. They have to satisfy with the price they pay. Farmers will get good profits after expansion of marketing of agriculture department.


The economy of the mountain area in Lalmai zone can change due to Cassava cultivation. If the Agriculture department of the government takes some initiatives and helps the local farmers then it will save lots of money for the country.


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