BSS, Rangpur :
Farmers have produced 21 lakh 93 thousand and 513 tonnes of clean Boro Paddy (32 lakh 90 thousand and 270 tonnes of paddy) this season in Rangpur Agriculture Region.
Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said a target of producing 22,07,132 tonnes of clean Boro Paddy (33,10,698 tonnes of paddy) was fixed from 5,03,550 hectares of land for all five districts in the region this time.
“Farmers finally cultivated the crop on 5,05,235 hectares of land exceeding the fixed farming target by 1,685 hectares or 0.33 percent,” Additional Director of DAE for Rangpur region Agriculturist Md. Emdad Hossain Sheikh told BSS on Wednesday
After getting special assistance from the government, enthusiastic farmers cultivated Boro rice on more land area exceeding the fixed cultivation target this season in the region.
“However, recent hail storms coupled with early rainfalls damaged standing Boro rice crop on 249 hectares of land in Kurigram, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat districts this time in the region,” he said.
Farmers completed Boro paddy harvesting on the remaining 5,03,601 heaters of land in Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari districts of the region earlier this week producing 21,93,513 tonnes of clean Boro paddy.
The produced quantity of 21,93,513 tonnes of clean Boro rice is less by 13,619 tonnes against the fixed production target of 22,07,132 tonnes of clean rice for the region this time.
“Farmers achieved an excellent average yield rate of over 4.35 tonnes of clean Boro rice or over 6.53 tonnes of paddy per hectare of land,” Agriculturist Hossain said.
Deputy Director of the DAE for Rangpur Agriculturist Md. Obaidur Rahman Mandal said farmers achieved a bumper Boro rice output following various effective steps taken by the government this season.
“The steps included distribution of special incentives to small and marginal farmers, inspiring them in using the latest technologies, proper fertilization, smooth supply of fertilizers and electricity for irrigation,” Agriculturist Mandal added.
Talking to BSS, farmer Ariful Haque Batul of village Najirdigar in Rangpur Sadar said sharecroppers completed harvest of Boro rice on his 6.50 acres of land earlier this month and got an average excellent yield of 6.75 tonnes of paddy per hectare of land.
Farmer Manik Mian of nearby village Darshona said he got an average yield rate of 6.80 tonnes Boro paddy after harvesting his cultivated high yielding and hybrid varieties of the crop on four acres of land.
Similarly, farmers Abdul Hafeez of Badarganj upazila in Rangpur, Nurul Amin of Chilmari upazila in Kurigram and Abdul Mannan of Saidpur upazila in Nilphamari districts said they got a bumper output of the crop.
They also expressed happiness over the current market price of Boro paddy between Taka 930 and 1,000 per every mound (every 40 kilograms) and thanked the government for procuring Boro paddy directly from farmers across the region.
Agriculturist Dr. Md. Abdul Mazid, who got the Independence Award 2018 Medal (food security), said timely transplantation of seedlings on major land areas by February 15 largely contributed to the high Boro rice yield rate. “Expanded adoption of latest agricultural technologies by farmers and favourable climatic conditions also contributed to the excellent production of Boro rice,” Dr. Mazid added.
