Transplantation of Boro seedling has been nearing completion as the farmers have already brought 92 percent of the targeted land area under its cultivation in all five districts under Rangpur agriculture region.
The government has taken adequate steps to make the Boro farming programme successful through ensuring smooth irrigation, supply of fuels, fertilisers and electricity and other facilities to the farmers this season.
According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources, the agriculture related departments and organisations have been assisting the farmers and working relentlessly as transplantation of Boro seedling is nearing completion.
The farmers have already transplanted Boro seedling on over 4.62 lakh
hectares of land, about 92 percent of the fixed target of bringing 5.02 lakh hectares of land this time under its cultivation in the region this season.
The government has fixed a target of producing 20.97 lakh tonnes of Boro rice from 5.02 lakh hectares of land for Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram,Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat districts under Rangpur agriculture region this season.
Under the programme, 7.57 lakh tonnes hybrid Boro rice will be produced from 1.51 lakh hectares land, 13.35 lakh tonnes high yielding variety rice from 3.49 lakh hectares and 4,255 tonnes local variety Boro rice from 2,127 hectares land in the region.
Earlier, the farmers prepared Boro seedbed on 28,982 hectares of land,
higher by 5,330 hectares or 22.54 per cent than the fixed target of preparing the same on 23,652 hectares of land this time in the agriculture region.
Till February 22 last, the farmers have transplanted seedling of hybrid variety Boro rice on over 1.34 lakh hectares of land, high yielding variety on over 3.23 lakh hectares and local variety Boro rice on 3,090 hectares of land in the region.
Talking to BSS today, Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam, Horticulture Specialist of the DAE at its Rangpur regional office said transplantation of Boro seedling has been continuing smoothly and the process will be completed by the middle of March next.
“Over 2.51 lakh pumps, including power and diesel driven 2,337 deep tube wells, 2.48 lakh shallow tube wells, 609 low lift pumps and 102 solar panel driven pumps have been put into operation for irrigating the Boro fields now in the region,” he said.
Meanwhile, Boro seedling transplanted earlier on low-lying lands in the ‘beels’, ‘haors’, char areas and dried-up river beds as well as in the mainland, has been growing excellent as tender plants wearing eye-catching looks amid favourable climatic conditions.
Regional Acting Additional Director of DAE SM Ashraf Ali said officials and experts of all concerned agriculture related organisations have been extending necessary assistance to the farmers and monitoring supply of diesel, power and fertilisers.
“The latest conservation agriculture based technologies like Alternate
Wetting & Drying irrigation method are also being provided to the farmers for enhancing Boro rice yield at lower costs and reducing lifting of underground water,” he said.
While traveling vast areas, this Reporter observed that the tender Boro plants have been growing excellent giving the vast tracts of fields eye-catching green looks and making the enthusiastic farmers busy in taking care of the growing major cereal crop fields.
