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]