Harvest of different variety crops, including local variety early Boro, cultivated on the dried up riverbeds and low-lying charlands on the Sylhet basin in the northern region, has already started.
The char and riverside people are happy getting an excellent crop yield now on vast tracts of the dried up beds of the Sylhet, Surma, Kushiara, Monu and other rivers as the Boro harvest begins from the last week of May in the mainland. According to sources in the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) and different NGOs, cultivation on the shoals, dried up riverbeds and charlands has become possible due to massive deposition of alluvial soils following climate change impacts.Crops like paddy, maize, wheat, vegetables, groundnut, ‘china’, ‘kawn’, pulses, ‘gunji till’, tobacco, gourds, pumpkins, corn, pulses, mustard, other oil seeds, and watermelon have grown well on these lands this year.The landless char people, small and marginal farmers have brought over 90,000 hectares land under drop cultivation this time and they are getting excellent production now and the harvesting process will continue till commencement of the rainy season.
Afsar Ali 55, of Lamakazi on the Sylhet in sadar upazila said they are expecting a bumper crop production this year. Farmers Abdur Karim, 49, of village Sunampur in Chhatok upazila said they achieved a bumper yield last year and are expecting excellent production of the crops cultivated on the dried up Kartoa riverbeds. Horticulture specialist of the DAE said crop cultivation on these lands has been taking place due to drying up of the rivers with emergence of shoals following adverse climate change impacts and other reasons.
Associate Professor- of Sylhet Agriculture University said increasing crop cultivation on the dried up riverbeds is not good news in the long run though the people are cultivating the same and getting better production.”Rather, there is no alternative to revive water flows in the rivers by adopting scientific means to keep them live for better future, environment, agriculture, bio-diversity, ecology amid climate change impacts for survival of the habitation,” he said.
2.05 lakh tones Boro paddy expected in Narsingdi
M.A. Awal from Narsingdi adds: Harvesting of early variety Boro paddy has begun in the district though the same will get full momentum from 1st week of May as the process of seed formation continues everywhere in the district.
Concern expert, officials and farmers are expecting a bumper Boro production in the district as the crop has been growing excellent under favourable climate condition this season. Deputy Director, Department of Agriculture Extension Muksed Ali told The New Nation that the DAE has fixed a target of producing 2.05 lakh tonnes of Boro paddy from 53443 hectares of land this year. But the farmers cultivate 657 hectares more land, they have cultivate 54,200 hectares land He said if the favorable climate condition is prevailed in the coming couple of weeks the above mentioned production would be achieved.
The sources also said Narsingdi sadar upazila has gained the top position in boro farming of the district. Farmers of the Narsingdi Sadar upazila said they are expecting good yield this year as they could use necessary fertilizers and proper irrigation in their cropland. They are happy to see the eye catching green plants on the field.
Much enthusiasm has been witnessed among the farmers in harvesting their bumper cash crop Boro paddy. They thanks the government for supplying them quality seed, reducing prices of fertilizers and for giving them agri- inputs assistant.
