BSS, Rangpur :
Farmers have already exceeded the fixed farming target of Boro Paddy and they are busy in taking care of the excellently growing tender rice plants in Rangpur agriculture region.
Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said farmers are still continuing transplantation of Boro rice seedlings after harvesting potatoes on the same land in all five districts of the region.
“We are expecting a bumper production of Boro rice as tender rice plants are growing fabulously amid favorable climatic conditions,” Additional Director of the DAE’s Rangpur region Agriculturist Md Tauhidul Ikbal told BSS.
The government has fixed a target of producing 22,07,132 tonnes of clean Boro rice (33,10,698 tonnes in terms of paddy) from 5,03,550 hectares of land for all five districts under Rangpur agriculture region during the current Rabi season.
“Farmers have so far cultivated Boro rice on 503,850 hectares of land, 300 heatares of 0.06 percent higher against the fixed farming target for the region,” Ikbal said.
The DAE and other agriculture-related organisations are working sincerely to ensure smooth irrigation, supply of fuels, fertilizers and electricity and other facilities to farmers to make the intensive Boro rice farming programme a success.
“Tender rice plants are growing well giving an eye-catching greenish look to the vast tracts of crop fields,” Ikbal said, adding that a bumper Boro rice output is likely if the climatic conditions remain favourable onwards.
Meanwhile, farmers have put 2,08,741 irrigation pumps including electricity, diesel and solar power run 2,828 deep tube wells, 2,04,329 shallow tube wells, 1,070 low lift pumps and 514 other pumps into operation to irrigate their Boro rice fields.
The DAE has fixed a target of bringing 1,00,770 hectares of Boro rice croplands under the Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) method of irrigation technology to enhance Boro rice yield at lower costs reducing lifting of underground water.
Besides, targets have been fixed to bring 50,385 hectares of land under use of compost fertilisers, 3,02,310 hectares under use of balanced fertilisers, 3,91,205 hectares under the perching and 10,240 hectares under the light trap methods of pests management.
In the eco-friendly perching method, farmers set up bamboo poles or branches of trees at regular intervals in Boro rice fields so that birds can alight or roost on those and eat harmful insects on rice plants helping farmers combating pests’ attacks naturally.
“In light trap method, farmers put pots filled with a mixture of water and detergent under a source of light on Boro rice fields. Being attracted by the reflection of light at night, harmful insects fall into the pots and consequently die,” Ikbal added.
Talking to BSS, farmer Ariful Haque of village Najirdigar in Rangpur Sadar said tender plants of Boro rice on his seven acres of land are growing excellently predicting a bumper Boro rice output.
Similarly, farmers Mofazzal Hossain Nazmul Alam and Auyub Ali of different villages here said tender plants of Boro rice on their croplands are growing superbly this season.
