BSS, Rajshahi :
Harvesting of Irri-Boro has started in full swing everywhere in the region including its vast barind tract with a positive sign of bumper production.
In the current season, 18 to 20 mounds of paddy are being harvested on per bigha of land in the high and mid-barind land while 20 to 22 mounds in the floodplain area.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) had set a target of bringing around 3.71lakh hectares of land under the Irri-boro cultivation in four districts of the region. But the farmers have actually cultivated paddy on around 3.59 lakh hectares.
Farmers of this region including its vast Barind tract have started farming Rabi crops creating hopes of saving underground water in the dried area.
Agriculturists and farmers have become optimistic over reducing the pressure on groundwater for irrigation purposes as a result of brining diversity in6 the cropping system under the deep tubewell command areas.
According to the sources concerned, a deep tube well can hardly irrigate around 180 bigha of Irri-Boro lands in the dry season. But in many cases, the irrigation system faces problems due to motorized fault caused by abnormal lowering of groundwater table. The adverse situation creates negative impact on crop yield affecting the farmers economically.
Harvest of Boro rice, the largest cereal crop in terms of volume of production, specially began in the Barind regions, the lowland or char areas where the short duration varieties of Boro rice including BR 28, 50 and 63 were planted, the DAE officials said.
Additional Director of DAE, Rajshahi Region, Fazlur Rahman told BSS that a number of factors like favourable climatic condition, adequate supply of necessary inputs like mixed fertilizers and pesticides have contributed to the expected bumper output.
“We hope that Irri-Boro production target will be achieved because of availability of irrigation water and also effectively checking pest attacks,” Agriculturist Fazlur Rahman pointed out. He expects an estimated production of about 14 lakh tonnes of rice this season.
Meanwhile, the harvested paddy have started appearing in the rural hats and other growth centres especially Damkura, Kakonhat, Naohata, Baya, Kaligonj and Baneshwar of Rajshahi, Niamatput, Manda, Badalgachhi of Naogaon, Adamdighi Dupchanchia and Kahalu of Bogra and Bholahat, Shibgonj and Kansat of Chapainawabgonj.
Golam Mostofa, a farmer of Kaligonj village in Tanore Upazila of Rajshahi district, told BSS on Sunday that the newly harvested paddy is being sold at Taka 750 to 800 per mound in local markets and other growth centres. The selling price is good this year in comparison to the previous years.
He observed that the water stress condition could be reduced if the Rabi crops are cultivated on the high barind lands widely and the process will positively benefit the farmers economically alongside protecting the environment from further degradation.
Prof Chowdhury Sarwar Jahan of Geology and Mining Department of Rajshahi University pointed out that the groundwater layers aren’t recharged properly due to scantly rainfall causing in its gradual lowering.
He, however, viewed that there is no alternative to operate irrigation pumps for food security.
But, he says dependence on underground water could be reduced through brining diversity in cropping system.
ATM Rafiqul Islam, Deputy Manager (Agriculture) of BMDA, mentioned that Irri-Boro farming needed five times more irrigation than that of the Rabi crops. So, the use of mining water could be reduced through expansion of Rabi crops like wheat, potato and maize..
Harvesting of Irri-Boro has started in full swing everywhere in the region including its vast barind tract with a positive sign of bumper production.
In the current season, 18 to 20 mounds of paddy are being harvested on per bigha of land in the high and mid-barind land while 20 to 22 mounds in the floodplain area.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) had set a target of bringing around 3.71lakh hectares of land under the Irri-boro cultivation in four districts of the region. But the farmers have actually cultivated paddy on around 3.59 lakh hectares.
Farmers of this region including its vast Barind tract have started farming Rabi crops creating hopes of saving underground water in the dried area.
Agriculturists and farmers have become optimistic over reducing the pressure on groundwater for irrigation purposes as a result of brining diversity in6 the cropping system under the deep tubewell command areas.
According to the sources concerned, a deep tube well can hardly irrigate around 180 bigha of Irri-Boro lands in the dry season. But in many cases, the irrigation system faces problems due to motorized fault caused by abnormal lowering of groundwater table. The adverse situation creates negative impact on crop yield affecting the farmers economically.
Harvest of Boro rice, the largest cereal crop in terms of volume of production, specially began in the Barind regions, the lowland or char areas where the short duration varieties of Boro rice including BR 28, 50 and 63 were planted, the DAE officials said.
Additional Director of DAE, Rajshahi Region, Fazlur Rahman told BSS that a number of factors like favourable climatic condition, adequate supply of necessary inputs like mixed fertilizers and pesticides have contributed to the expected bumper output.
“We hope that Irri-Boro production target will be achieved because of availability of irrigation water and also effectively checking pest attacks,” Agriculturist Fazlur Rahman pointed out. He expects an estimated production of about 14 lakh tonnes of rice this season.
Meanwhile, the harvested paddy have started appearing in the rural hats and other growth centres especially Damkura, Kakonhat, Naohata, Baya, Kaligonj and Baneshwar of Rajshahi, Niamatput, Manda, Badalgachhi of Naogaon, Adamdighi Dupchanchia and Kahalu of Bogra and Bholahat, Shibgonj and Kansat of Chapainawabgonj.
Golam Mostofa, a farmer of Kaligonj village in Tanore Upazila of Rajshahi district, told BSS on Sunday that the newly harvested paddy is being sold at Taka 750 to 800 per mound in local markets and other growth centres. The selling price is good this year in comparison to the previous years.
He observed that the water stress condition could be reduced if the Rabi crops are cultivated on the high barind lands widely and the process will positively benefit the farmers economically alongside protecting the environment from further degradation.
Prof Chowdhury Sarwar Jahan of Geology and Mining Department of Rajshahi University pointed out that the groundwater layers aren’t recharged properly due to scantly rainfall causing in its gradual lowering.
He, however, viewed that there is no alternative to operate irrigation pumps for food security.
But, he says dependence on underground water could be reduced through brining diversity in cropping system.
ATM Rafiqul Islam, Deputy Manager (Agriculture) of BMDA, mentioned that Irri-Boro farming needed five times more irrigation than that of the Rabi crops. So, the use of mining water could be reduced through expansion of Rabi crops like wheat, potato and maize..
