National Desk :
Around 85 percent Boro paddy has, so far, been harvested in the region including its vast barind tract on an average successfully amid mind-blowing yield attained by the farmers despite the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Sixty-three percent harvesting target has been achieved in the plain land while over 85 percent in lowlands in Rajshahi, Naogaon, Chapainawabganj and Natore districts,” said Sirajul Islam, additional director of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE).
He said the farmers are happy as they are harvesting their paddy amid satisfactory yield everywhere in the region. Farmers achieved the good paddy yield following various effective steps including inspiring farmers in enhancing cultivation of high yielding varieties of Boro rice, use of latest technologies, proper fertilisation, agronomical managements, smooth supply of fertilisers and electricity for irrigation, said agriculturist Islam.
Dr Mahbubur Rahman, additional director of the DAE in Bogura, said around 67 percent paddy has, so far, been harvested on an average while the figure is significantly high in the lowlands in Bogura, Joypurhat, Pabna and Sirajganj districts.
Suitable weather also made the paddy farmers capable of getting good yield of Boro paddy as steps had been taken to ensure smooth Boro rice cultivation in this season.
In the current season, farming acreage of high yielding paddy varieties has been recorded to rise to a greater extent. Farmers are so happy after getting satisfactory yield of the newly developed varieties.
Samedul Islam, 54, a farmer of Ishwaripur village under Godagari upazila, said he has harvested 8.8 tonnes of yield (dry) per hectare after cultivating the Brridhan 92 variety, which is a significant high compared to the local varieties.
Another farmer Mokbul Hossain, 47, of Rishikul village under the same upazila, had cultivated Brridhan 89 obtaining 8.37 tonnes of yield (dry) per hectare. “The yield is amazing,” Hossain said.
Jakir Hossain, 54, a farmer of Hatibandha village under Godagari upazila, had cultivated paddy on 20 bighas of land this season whereas the previous season’s acreage was 15 bighas.
Good yield and enhanced selling prices of both paddy and straw have encouraged him to cultivate paddy on more lands.
“I have sold only straw worth around Taka 75,000 in addition to the paddy last season,” Hossain said, adding that many of his co-villagers have attained success in paddy farming.
Currently, businessmen and wholesalers purchase paddy and straw from the farmers’ field directly as the grassroots growers are being benefited in many ways, said Hossain.
He added that the price of both paddy and rice during the previous Boro, Aush and Aman seasons were seen to increase as a result of government-level rice procurement drives inspiring the farmers to cultivate Boro paddy on more lands.
“I have got a better price of the latest Aman paddy. So, I have cultivated Boro paddy on 10 bighas of land,” said Abu Rahman, a farmer of Gubirpara village under Tanore upazila, adding that the farmers are happy over paddy cultivation here.
Abul Kashem, a farmer of Mayamari village under Niamatpur upazila, said he had cultivated paddy on 18-bighas of land this season.
Meanwhile, the DAE has set the target of producing 35.24 lakh tonnes of paddy from 8.10 lakh hectares of land in all eight districts of Rajshahi division during the current season.
But the farmers have brought 8.17 lakh hectares of land generating scopes of additional rice production, officials said.
24,600 small and marginal farmers were given support with seed and fertilizers in the division under the government’s agriculture incentive programme to boost the Boro rice production.
In the previous year, farmers produced 34.23 lakh tonnes of Boro rice from 8.03 lakh hectares of land in all eight districts under the division.
