Boro rice cultivation gets momentum in Rangpur region

Published : 26 Jan 2021, 17:39

Sahos Desk

Cultivation of Boro rice has got full momentum now as farmers are continuing transplantation of its seedlings braving cold weather and the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in Rangpur agriculture region.

Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said the government is assisting farmers to make the intensive Boro rice farming programme successful and help them in recouping the huge crop losses they incurred during recent floods.

The DAE has fixed a target of producing 21.54 lakh tonnes of clean Boro rice (32.31 lakh tonnes of paddy) from 4.96 lakh hectares of land for all five districts under Rangpur agriculture region this season.

“Farmers have already transplanted Boro rice seedlings on 1,80,302 hectares of land, 36.31 percent against the fixed farming target till Monday last,” Deputy Director of the DAE at its regional office Md Moniruzzaman told BSS today. Meanwhile, farmers have already prepared Boro rice seedbeds on 27,369 hectares of land exceeding the fixed target of preparing the same on 22,943 hectares of land by 19.29 percent across the region.

With little improvement of the cold wave situation during the past couple of days, farmers have accelerated the transplantation process of Boro rice seedlings on their crop lands to complete the process timely in the region.

“The DAE with other related organisations, Power Development Board and Rural Electrification Board are ensuring smooth supply of seeds, fertilisers and electricity to farmers to ensure smooth Boro rice cultivation this season,” Moniruzzaman said.

Getting necessary assistance from the government, farmers are expected to exceed the fixed Boro rice farming target in Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat districts of the region to recoup the crop losses during last year’s floods. “As a result of conducting huge motivational activities, farmers are adopting conservation agriculture (CA) based technologies while farming Boro rice to save irrigation water for increasing rice output at reduced costs in the region,” Moniruzzaman added.

Talking to BSS, Senior Coordinator (Agriculture and Environment) of RDRS Bangladesh Agriculturist Mamunur Rashid said transplantation of Boro rice seedlings is nearing completion in the low-lying char lands, beels and riverine areas in the region. “Farmers are targeting to bring more low-lying char lands, beels and riverine areas under Boro rice farming to complete its harvest before commencement of the next rainy season and recoup the huge crop losses they incurred during recent floods,” Rashid added.

Agriculturist Dr Md Abdul Mazid, who got the Independent Medal 2018 (food security), expressed satisfaction over the ample steps taken by the government to assist farmers in all possible ways for making the Boro rice farming a success in the region. He suggested farmers for large-scale adoption of CA-based technologies like Alternate Wetting and Drying irrigation method to get maximum Boro rice yield at reduced costs saving huge underground water.

Like many other farmers, Ariful Haque of village Najirdigar here told BSS that he has begun transplantation of seedlings on his 6.50 acres of land to complete the process by February 15 next.

Source: BSS

  • Latest
  • Most viewed