The Spices Research Centre (SRC) in Shibganj upazila of Bogura has released the first variety of cumin for commercial cultivation on February 22 in a bid to reduce Bangladesh's import-dependence for the spice.

However, farmers have been left frustrated as about 50 per cent of the crops being grown under a trial basis have already been damaged by rain and fog.

The SRC, a department of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, developed the BARI Jira-1 variety of cumin through 12 years of intensive research, according to officials of the research centre.

Farmers can grow BARI Jira-1, which is the first type of cumin to be fully developed by the SRC, in sandy loam soils.

Dr Mazharul Anwar, chief scientific officer of the SRC, said farmers can take the seeds and advice on how to grow them from his organisation.

The SRC in Bogura has so far developed around 48 varieties, of which BARI Jira-1 was most recently cleared for release by the Seed Certification Agency, he added.

Md Mahmudul Hasan, senior scientific officer of the SRC, had worked with cumin since 2008 in hopes of releasing a new variety.

"After an adaptation and evaluation trial, a committee reviewed my work and decided that Bangladeshi farmers could grow the cumin, which remains a 100 per cent import-oriented spice even now," he said.

During the development phase, it was found that BARI Jira-1 can be grown in dry areas like the abandoned char areas that have low water percolation as cumin is less tolerant of water compared to other crops.

"We had heard that many farmers cultivated cumin in different areas in the past, but it was found that they were growing dill," Hasan said.

Besides, some farmers in Naogaon, Faridpur, and Rajshahi previously tried to cultivate actual cumin but failed.

"This year though, we have given BARI Jira-1 seeds to 65 farmers in Bogura and Gaibandha's char areas, and 50 per cent of them have found success," he added.

Ataur Rahman, a farmer of Kanaipara char beside the Jamuna river in Gaibandha's Saghata upazila, said he cultivated cumin on six decimals of land last November.

"The growth of it was lucrative as the plants bore flowers but 50 per cent of the plants have died already due to the sudden rain in the first week of February," he said.

"I will harvest the remaining 50 per cent within one or two days and the yield will be good I think," Rahman added.

Amir Ali, a farmer of Haludia char under Bogura's Sonatala upazila, said the SRC provided him with seeds, fertilisers and other facilities to grow cumin this year.

"I have cultivated BARI Jira-1 on four decimals of land. About 50 per cent of my crop was damaged by the rain in February while the remainder was damaged by fog," he added.

Scientific officers of the SRC said cumin can be planted in November and harvested about 100 days later.

Cumin cannot tolerate water and so, farmers need not irrigate their lands. If farmers can save the plant from fog and water, they can get around 2 to 2.5 maunds of cumin from each bigha, said SRC Senior Scientific Officer Hasan.

This amount of cumin can then be sold for about Tk 30,000 at the current market price.

Besides, farmers need only Tk 6,000 to Tk 7,000 to grow one bigha of cumin.

Hasan went on to say that Bangladesh consumes about 25,000 tonnes of cumin worth about Tk 500 crore to Tk 600 crore each year. Domestic demand for the spice is met through imports, both legal and illegal, from countries such as India and Pakistan.

In fiscal 2020-21, 20,602 tonnes of the spice was imported for about Tk 328 crore through Chattogram port, down some 15 per cent from 24,232 tonnes the year before, according to Chattogram customs. Meanwhile, about 4,223 tonnes of cumin worth Tk 68.27 crore has been imported in the first seven months of the ongoing fiscal year. Cumin is also imported through other channels such as land ports.

"So if farmers can grow it on a massive scale, then we can save our foreign exchange reserve," he said.

As cumin does not require much preservation, farmers of the abandoned char areas can preserve the spice in their houses to sell it any time they need money, Hasan added.

"We had imported several varieties of germplasm from Iran, India, Pakistan and Turkey to conduct our research. After the adaptation trial, we released the BARI Jira-1 which can be grown successfully in dry sandy loam soils," said the SRC's Chief Scientific Officer Anwar.