RAJSHAHI, Feb 1, 2020 (BSS) – Farmers have started seedlings
transplantation of Irri-boro paddy of the current season amidst suitable
climatic condition everywhere in all eight districts under Rajshahi division.
Nurul Amin Siddiqui, a farmer of Karnahar village under Paba upazila in
the district, said he will cultivate the paddy on five bighas of land this
season. Farmers of the area are now very busy in seedling transplantation and
land preparations at present, he added.
Amin Siddique said the climatic condition is so far good and the farmers
have started their seedling transplantation in full-swing taking advantage of
the favourable weather.
Lokman Hossain, another farmer in Mohadevpur upazila, said he has
already transplanted seedlings on two bighas of land this season and he will
transplant the same on six more bighas within a shortest possible time.
Abul Kashem, a farmer of Mayamari village under Niamatpur upazila, said
he had made seedbeds on 25 decimals of land for cultivating paddy on 18
bighas of land this season. He is now very much glad of starting the
transplantation of seedlings.
Meanwhile, Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has set target of
producing around 34.30 lakh tonnes of Irri-boro rice from 8.08 lakh hectares
of land in all eight districts under the division during the current season.
Deb Dulal Dhali, Additional Director of DAE, said target has been set to
produce 31.57 lakh tonnes of high yielding varieties rice from 7.51 lakh
hectares, 2.65 lakh tonnes of hybrid varieties of rice from 52,910 hectares
and 7,729 tonnes of local varieties of rice from 3,840 hectares of land.
He said steps have been taken to ensure smooth Boro rice cultivation
this season. The farming is going on in full swing across the region as they
are optimistic of harvesting the crop early.
Regional office of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) has taken
diversified steps including farmers training, projection plot and supplying
of the newly developed high yielding varieties among the growers to make the
irri-boro farming a total success.
BRRI has developed 14 Boro varieties of paddy which are appropriate for
Rajshahi region including its vast Barind tract, said Dr Aminul Islam, Chief
Scientific Officer of BRRI.
Of those, Brridhan50 is export-oriented premium quality rice, Brridhan58
is comparatively high yielding and Brridhan84 is iron and zinc-enriched, he
added.
Dr Islam said the field level agriculture related officials, researchers
and scientists are reaching the developed varieties to the farmers’ doorsteps
so that they can boost the boro paddy yield after the best uses of the
varieties.
The conventional varieties are being replaced by modern varieties which
are good signs for the region in terms of boosting yield, he said.
Dr Aminul Islam said there is no way but to enhance the rice production
through facing the existing challenges of adverse impact of climate change
side by side with gradually declining of resources and agriculture manpower.
Abdullah Heel Kafi, Regional Agriculture Information Officer, said the
DAE and other agriculture-related organisations, Barind Multipurpose
Development Authority, Power Development Board and Rural Electrification
Board are ensuring irrigation, smooth supply of seed, fertilisers and
electricity to the farmers to ensure smooth Boro paddy cultivation.
Kafi expected that the farmers would largely adopt conservation
agriculture technologies in farming Boro paddy to increase its output
reducing lifting of underground water, saving electricity and improving the
environment.
He added that the farmers were imparted training on how to adopt
conservation agriculture technologies like Alternate Drying and Wetting
irrigation method at a larger scale while farming Boro paddy to save
irrigation water for increasing Boro paddy output at reduced costs.