ZCZC
BSS-05
BORO-PADDY-HARVESTING (with picture)
49pc Boro paddy harvested in Rajshahi
RAJSHAHI, May 16, 2020 (BSS) – Around 49 per cent Boro paddy has, so far, been harvested in plan land of the region including its vast barind tract on an average successfully creating a high hope of ensuring food security amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Forty-nine percent harvesting target has been achieved in the plain land while over 85 percent in lowlands in Rajshahi, Naogaon, Chapainawabgonj and Natore districts,” said Sudhendra Nath Roy, Additional Director of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE).
He said the farmers are happy as they are harvesting their paddy amid satisfactory yield everywhere in the region.
Sudhendra Nath said the farmers achieved the good paddy yield following various effective steps including inspiring farmers in enhancing cultivation of high yielding varieties of Boro rice, use of latest technologies, proper fertilisation, agronomical managements, smooth supply of fertilisers and electricity for irrigation.
Suitable weather also made the paddy farmers capable of getting good yield of boro paddy as steps had been taken to ensure smooth Boro rice cultivation in this season.
Kamal Uddin Talukder, Additional Director of DAE, Bogura, said around 30-35 percent paddy has, so far, been harvested while the figure is significantly high in the lowlands in Bogura, Joypurhat, Pabna and Sirajgonj districts.
Meanwhile, the DAE has set a 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.
Target has been set to produce 31.57 lakh tonnes of high yielding varieties of 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.
Farmers of the division were provided 317 Combined Harvester machines and 183 Reaper machines this year to ease harvesting paddy in due time.
A combined harvester can harvest, thresh, clean and pack rice on three bighas of land for only an hour.
Kamal Uddin Talukder, said there was no shortage of farm labourers in the region. In addition to the farm labourers, hundreds of unemployed construction workers, brick kiln workers, rickshaw van pullers, who were staying idle in their houses during the pandemic situation, were employed in harvesting paddy.
The combined harvester machines and the reaper machines are also being used properly to reap the paddy home as soon as possible.
Nur Muhammad, a farmer of Gollapara village under Tanore Upazila, has attained significant success after cultivating Brridhan-86 that yielded 29 mounds from per bigha of land on an average.
He also said there is a spectacular yield of paddy in the fields, adding he did not witness such an excellent yield of paddy in the field during his lifetime.
Another farmer Erfan Ali of Jahidnagar village under Gomastapur Upazila in Chapainawabgonj district said he has attained 30 mounds from per bigha of land after cultivating Brridhan-81 on two acres of land. He terms the yield as an over-expectation.
Ali hoped for a bumper production of paddy unless there is any natural disaster during the reaping season.
Abul Hossain of Pirijpur village under Godagari said he has cultivated Boro paddy on 10-bighas of land and hopes to reap paddy within next one week.
Like him, many other farmers of the upazila were highly hopeful of a bumper paddy production this season. Hossain expects a good profit by selling paddy if the market price of Paddy is satisfactory.
BSS/SPL/AH/MMA/1245HRS