RAJSHAHI, Feb 6, 2020 (BSS) – Farmers and field level agricultural extension officials and researchers concerned are hoping for a satisfactory wheat yield in the region including its vast Barind tract as they are now very much happy over the present farming condition.
Talking to BSS separately they mentioned that the prevailing suitable climatic condition has made them inspired and hopeful about the upcoming wheat harvesting. Everywhere in the wheat-growing areas the farmers are now seen busy in nursing and caring the farming fields.
Abu Kalam, a farmer of Nandangachhi village under Charghat Upazila, said he’s very much optimistic about the coming wheat yield. He said the present weather coupled with topographic condition is supportive for the cash crop.
Taking advantage of the natural privileges the farmers brought more lands under cultivation of the cereal crop as well as staple food. Mozammel Haque, another farmer of Panchandar village under Tanore Upazila, is now happy over witnessing the wheat growing field. He attributed that timely sowing of seeds accompanied by the cold spell, has been considered as a positive sign for attaining a bumper production of the cash crop.
Meanwhile, Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has set the target of producing around 5.19 lakh tonnes of wheat from around 1.46 lakh hectares of land during the current season in all eight districts under Rajshahi division.
The DAE has disbursed seeds and fertilizers worth around Taka 3.38 crore free of cost among 17,000 poor and marginal farmers for wheat farming under the government’s agricultural incentive programme in the division, said Deb Dulal Dhali, Additional Director of DAE. Various other government and non-government entities have adopted diversified steps to make farming a total success in the region as it’s suitable for the crop for its water-saving and drought tolerant features.
Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA), an ever-largest irrigation providing state-run organization in the country’s northwest region, has adopted an all-out measures to make the wheat farming a total success. Rajshahi Regional Office of Bangladesh Wheat and Maize Research Institute (BWMRI) developed 320 demonstration plots on farmers’ fields.
320 farmers were given 5.5 tonnes of breeder seeds and 8.5 tonnes of truthfully labelled seeds of some high yielding, heat and drought tolerant and blast disease resistant varieties like BARI Gom 28, 29, 30 and 33 along with recommended fertilizers for the projection plots free of cost.
The farmers including 69 field-level DAE officials were imparted training on how will produce wheat properly using the modern seeds and technologies.
Dr Ilias Hossain, Principal Scientific Officer of BWMRI, told BSS that the BARI gom 33 is the ever latest variety which is blast disease resistant, zinc-enriched, large grain size and high yielding (20 maunds per bigha).