Ferdousur Rahman, Bogra :
Harvesting of advance variety of Boro paddy has started in four upazilas of Bogra district amid labours crisis in some areas.
The harvesting will continue in full swing till mid April-May, farmers said.
The farmers of the areas are happy, as they are going to have a bumper production of Boro paddy but worried for not getting fair price.
Chondidash Kundu, Deputy Director of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Bogra said that the production of Boro paddy was likely to exceed the target this year on account of favourable climate. The paddy was cultivated on 1,87,500 hectares of lands in 12 upazilas of Bogra district this year, which was about 300 hectares of land more over the last year with a production target of 7 lakh 500 metric tons of rice. But now, the farmers are expecting more barring hailstorm and tornado.
While visiting different villages in Nondigram upazila, this correspondent found that the farmers were busy to harvest BR-28, Miniket, BR-Hira and others quality of Boro paddy in a festive mood with huge enthusiasm.
They looked hurried to take the crops to the granary before strike by the natural calamities. Farmers said that they were getting 22 to 28 mounds of paddy from each bigha of land. The price of green paddy was also satisfactory, farmers said.
In spite of prospect of bumper production of the crop, meanwhile, shortage of farm-labourers is seriously affecting harvest of boro paddy in some areas of the district in this season.
Md. Nurul Rahman, a farmer of Hatkory village of Nondigram upazila said about 30 to 35 labourers were needed for reaping paddy from one hectare of land.
Farmers of different upazilas of the district said that at present it was not possible to collect such a workforce at a time as an acute shortage of farm-labourers was prevailing.
Md. Anbdul Barique, a well-off farmer of village Nondigram upazila shadar in Bogra, told the New Nation that most of the farmers would not be able to harvest their paddy in time due to shortage of day labourers in the district.
Md. Shahinur Islam, another farmer at village Balukapara of Dupchacia upazila in Bogra, said that some people, who used to work in this boro harvesting season, now were driving auto-rickshaws causing farm-labour crisis at the upazila.
The farmers also said that the labour crisis had been prevailing acutely in the district for last several years due to massive migration of the working class people to the country’s different towns for better livelihood.
Rains, hailstorm hit harvest of Boro paddy in Sylhet region
Sylhet Correspondent adds: Farmers in Sylhet region are in great trouble with harvesting of Boro paddy due to inclement weather over the last few days. The region has been experiencing excessive rains and gusty winds coupled with hailstorm, which is not normal with the very start of Baishakh.
Normally they start harvesting the crop at middle of Baisakh while only a few farmers can harvest the advance varities of the crop in the region. With inundation of croplands and breaches on the haor protection embankments in different upazilas due to the excessive rains and rolling down of water from upstream, the situation is turning more critical in the district of Sunamganj, which has the highest Boro producing area in the country. Many farmers are now compelled to harvest the half-ripened paddy.
Besides, a good number of farmers are suffering much due to unavailability of day labourers for harvesting the paddy while hailstorm coupled with rains also causing much, a number of people said.
Harvesting of advance variety of Boro paddy has started in four upazilas of Bogra district amid labours crisis in some areas.
The harvesting will continue in full swing till mid April-May, farmers said.
The farmers of the areas are happy, as they are going to have a bumper production of Boro paddy but worried for not getting fair price.
Chondidash Kundu, Deputy Director of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Bogra said that the production of Boro paddy was likely to exceed the target this year on account of favourable climate. The paddy was cultivated on 1,87,500 hectares of lands in 12 upazilas of Bogra district this year, which was about 300 hectares of land more over the last year with a production target of 7 lakh 500 metric tons of rice. But now, the farmers are expecting more barring hailstorm and tornado.
While visiting different villages in Nondigram upazila, this correspondent found that the farmers were busy to harvest BR-28, Miniket, BR-Hira and others quality of Boro paddy in a festive mood with huge enthusiasm.
They looked hurried to take the crops to the granary before strike by the natural calamities. Farmers said that they were getting 22 to 28 mounds of paddy from each bigha of land. The price of green paddy was also satisfactory, farmers said.
In spite of prospect of bumper production of the crop, meanwhile, shortage of farm-labourers is seriously affecting harvest of boro paddy in some areas of the district in this season.
Md. Nurul Rahman, a farmer of Hatkory village of Nondigram upazila said about 30 to 35 labourers were needed for reaping paddy from one hectare of land.
Farmers of different upazilas of the district said that at present it was not possible to collect such a workforce at a time as an acute shortage of farm-labourers was prevailing.
Md. Anbdul Barique, a well-off farmer of village Nondigram upazila shadar in Bogra, told the New Nation that most of the farmers would not be able to harvest their paddy in time due to shortage of day labourers in the district.
Md. Shahinur Islam, another farmer at village Balukapara of Dupchacia upazila in Bogra, said that some people, who used to work in this boro harvesting season, now were driving auto-rickshaws causing farm-labour crisis at the upazila.
The farmers also said that the labour crisis had been prevailing acutely in the district for last several years due to massive migration of the working class people to the country’s different towns for better livelihood.
Rains, hailstorm hit harvest of Boro paddy in Sylhet region
Sylhet Correspondent adds: Farmers in Sylhet region are in great trouble with harvesting of Boro paddy due to inclement weather over the last few days. The region has been experiencing excessive rains and gusty winds coupled with hailstorm, which is not normal with the very start of Baishakh.
Normally they start harvesting the crop at middle of Baisakh while only a few farmers can harvest the advance varities of the crop in the region. With inundation of croplands and breaches on the haor protection embankments in different upazilas due to the excessive rains and rolling down of water from upstream, the situation is turning more critical in the district of Sunamganj, which has the highest Boro producing area in the country. Many farmers are now compelled to harvest the half-ripened paddy.
Besides, a good number of farmers are suffering much due to unavailability of day labourers for harvesting the paddy while hailstorm coupled with rains also causing much, a number of people said.
