RANGPUR: More than 3,000 farmers in eight upazilas of the district have achieved economic self-reliance in the last 10 years through commercial grass-farming, reports BSS.

“Grass cultivation has become a profitable venture as farmers are earning Taka one-lakh annually on an average by farming high yielding variety Napier grass on one bigha (33 decimals) of land,” said District Livestock Officer Dr Md Mahbubul Alam.

With a huge boost in the livestock and diary sectors during the past one decade, the demand for grass is increasing consistently as fodder for heads of cattle and cows.

“During the 2016-2017 fiscal, some 3,000 farmers cultivated Napier variety grass on over 2,940 bigha (980 acres) of land and produced 2.05-lakh tonnes of the pasture worth Taka 41.16 crore in the district,” Dr Alam said.

Talking to BSS at Chandanpat Bazar under Sadar upazila, farmer Nanu Chandra, 47, of nearby village Matiyapara said he had been cultivating Napier grass on his one acre (100 decimals) of land during the past five years.

“I spend Taka 20,000 on an average for cultivating grass, including labour costs, on my one acre of land. I harvest the grass eight times annually and sell those at Taka 1.20-lakh to earn a net profit of Taka one-lakh every year,” Nanu said.