Agrometrology

Agrometrology units of measurements and weights of agricultural commodities, and inputs in mass, volume, land area, and number. It is interesting to note that bangladesh has its own metrologies from time immemorial for local use by farmers and businessmen. Different districts have their own agrometrology systems greatly varying in nomenclature and measuring units. However, the Government of Bangladesh introduced the metric system of measures from 1982 through an Ordinance.

Table Traditional Measuring Units used in different areas of the country.

Name Local units National and SI units
Length, distance Inch, Hand, Foot, Yards, Gira, Furlong, Crosh, Mile Metre, Kilometre
Area Decimal, Bigha, Til, Ganda, Khuchi, Kuni, Kiar, Katha, Pakhi, Kani, Ara, Pura, Butha, Acre Hectare
Volume Katha, Pura, Pint, Gallon Cubic Metre, Litre
Mass (weight) Tola, Kacha, Bhutha, Chatak, Poa, Seer, Mone, Dhara, Ari, Kati, Pairi Kilogram, Gram
Netrokona Gazipur
1 Katha = 10 decimal 1 Pakhi = 35 Decimal
1 Acre = 10 Katha 1 Seer (Milk) = 105 Tola
1 Ara = 16 Katha  = 160 Decimal 1 Maund (Fuel Wood) = 10 Pahar
1 Butha = 5 Katha = 50 Decimal 1 Khara = 5 Seers
1 Kani = 33.5 Decimal 1 Hali (Banana) = 5 (numbers)
1 Pura = 16 Ara 1 Khata (Rice) = 5 Seers
1 Decimal = 0.1 Katha
1 Hectare = 24.7 Katha
1 Katha = 4 Kuchi
Mymensingh Rajshahi
1 Bigha = 33 Decimal = 5 Katha 1 Bigha = 33 Decimals
1 Katha = 6.75 Decimal 20 Katha = 1 Bigha
1 Khuchi (Paddy) = 1.75 Seer 1 Katha = 1½ Decimal
1 Pura = 33/30 Decimal 40 Seer = 1 Maund
1 Dhari = 5 Kg
1 Poa (Betel Leaf) = 32 Bira
1 Bira = 64 (numbers) = 16 Ganda
20 Ganda (Mango) = 1 Pon
1 Pon = 80 (numbers)
Feni/Lakshmipur Area Tangail
1 Korha = 1.5 Decimal = 6 Nal ×1 Nal (1 Nal =7 Hands) 1 Bigha/Pakhi = 30 Decimal
1 Ganda = 4 Korha 1 Khada = 16 Bigha
1 Kani = 4 Ganda 1 Korha = 4 Ganda
1 Kani = 4 Kuni 1 Dhara = 5 Seers
1 Tirpi Kani = 20 Ganda = 1.2 Acre 1 Hali (Mango) = 5 (numbers)
1 Dron = 16 Kani 1 Seer = 80 Tola
1 Ari = 10 Seer/16 Seer 1 Seer (Milk) = 105 Tola
1 Pia = 14 Pura 1 Kuri (Fish) = 22 (numbers)
1 Kuri (Banana) = 24 (numbers)
Faridpur Barisal
1 Bigha = 52 Decimal 1 Korha = 4 Ganda
1 Acre = 100 Decimal 1 Korha = 2 Decimal
1 Ghati = 1 Seer 1 Kati = 20 Decimal
1 Pon = 20 Hali 1 Acre = 100 Decimal
1 Hali = 4 (numbers) 1 Kura = 160 Decimal
1 Ganda = 4 Hali 1 Seer (Keroshine oil) = 60/100 Tola
1 Kuri (Betel Nut) = 22 (numbers)
1 Kathi = 22 Seers
Dhaka Kushtia
1 Pakhi = 26 Decimal 1 Bigha = 33 Decimal
1 Bigha = 3 Pakhi 1 Acre = 100 Decimal
1 Katha = 20 Pakhi 1 Par = 80 (numbers)
1 Bira (Betel Leaf) = 20 Ganda = 80 (numbers) 1 Pakhi = 60 Decimal
1 Choli = 5 Ganda = 20 (numbers) 1 Dhari = 5 Seers
1 Hundred (Mango) = 112 (numbers)
1 Bisha (Fish) = 32 (numbers)
Bogra Khulna
1 Bigha = 20 Katha = 33 Decimal 1 Dhari = 5 Seers
1 Kati (Rice) = 20 Seers 1 Bigha = 66 Decimal
1 Dhara = 5 Seers 1 Chunia = 15 Seers
1 Katha = 30 Seers
Comilla Gaibandha
1 Kani = 1.80 Acre/30 Decimal = 120 Decimal 1 Bigha = 33 Decimal
1 Sai Kani = 20 Ganda = 4 Kuni 1 Bigha = 20 Katha
1 Ganda = 9 Decimal = 4 Korha 1 Acre = 100 Katha
1 Kuni = 5 Ganda 1 Bira (Betel Leaf) = 16 Ganda
1 Kuri (Fish) = 25 (numbers) 1 Ganda = 4 (numbers)
1 Kuri (Banana) = 25 (numbers) 40 Seers = 1 Maund
1 Seer (Land) = 3 Decimal
1 Chatak (Land) = 1/640 Kani
Pabna Chittagong
1 Gha (Betel Nut) = 10 (numbers) 1 Kani = 160 Decimal/40 Decimal
1 Pakhi = 29 Kani = 27 Decimal 1 Korha = 2 Decimal
1 Bigha = 33 Decimal 1 Ganda = 4 Korha/2 Decimal
1 Mone (Paddy) = 20 Katha 1 Ari (Paddy) = 18 Seers
1 Dhara = 5 Seers 1 Maund = 4 Ari
Rangpur Noakhali
1 Bigha = 2.5 Doan = 60 Decimal 1 Kani = 120 Decimal
1 Doan = 4 Poa 1 Kani = 20 Ganda
1 Hali (Fish) = 7 (numbers) 1 Ganda = 4 Korha
1 Dhara = 5 Seers 1 Korha = 1.5 Decimal
1 Mon = 8 Dhara = 40 Seers 1 Bira (Betel Leaf) = 18 Ganda = 72 (numbers)
1 Mon = 40 Seers
Dinajpur
1 Bigha = 48 Decimal
1 Bigha = 20 Katha
1 Gha (Betel Nut) = 10 (numbers)
2 Ganda = 1 Pon
1 Dhari = 5 Kg
8 Dhari = 1 Maund Hundred (Betel Leaf) = 16 Ganda = 64 (numbers)

Although there exists a great diversity of agrometrological units in different parts of the country, these however bear some relationship with Standard International. [M Sadrul Amin]