RANGPUR, March 16, 2021 (BSS) – Farmers have exceeded the fixed farming
target of Boro rice by 1.41 percent and engaged maximum efforts in taking
care of growing tender paddy plants now in Rangpur agriculture region.
Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) officials said farmers completed
transplantation of Boro rice seedlings on March 15 in all five districts of
Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat in the region.
“We are expecting a super bumper production of Boro rice as tender paddy
plants are growing smoothly amid favourable climate conditions,” Additional
Director of Rangpur DAE Agriculturist Khandker Abdul Wahed told BSS today.
The government has fixed a target of producing 21.54 lakh tonnes of clean
Boro rice (32.31 lakh tonnes of paddy) from 4.96 lakh hectares of land in all
five districts under Rangpur agriculture region during the current Rabi
season.
“Braving the COVID-19 pandemic, enthusiastic farmers, however, have finally
cultivated Boro rice on 5.03 lakh hectares of land, a sharp rise of 1.21
percent against the targeted 4.96 lakh hectares of land, in the region this
season,” Wahed said.
The DAE and other agriculture-related organisations are working in a well-
coordinated manner to ensure smooth irrigation, supply of fuels, fertilisers
and electricity and other facilities for farmers to make the intensive Boro
rice farming programme a success.
Getting necessary assistance from the government under the post-flood
agriculture rehabilitation programme, the flood-hit farmers have brought more
lands under Boro rice cultivation to recoup the crop losses they incurred
during the last year’s floods.
“Tender rice plants are growing excellent giving an eye-catching greenish
look to crop fields all-around across the region,” he said, adding that a
bumper Boro rice output is likely if the climate condition remain favourable
during the next two months.
Meanwhile, farmers have put over 2.30 lakh irrigation pumps; including
electricity, diesel and solar power run 2,823 deep tube wells, 2.27 lakh
shallow tube wells, 593 low lift pumps and 480 other pumps into operation to
irrigate Boro rice fields in the region.
The DAE has fixed a target of bringing one-lakh hectares of land under Boro
rice farming adopting the Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) irrigation
technology to enhance Boro rice yield at lower costs reducing lifting of
underground water this season.
Besides, targets have been fixed to bring 47,432 hectares of land under use
of compost fertilisers, 2.84 lakh hectares under use of balanced fertilisers
and 4.74 lakh hectares under perching method this season, Wahed added.
He also said a number of 2.84 lakh hectares of land will come under logo
methods, a system where a certain space is kept free after planting paddy in
8-10 rows for smooth farmers’ movement, during the period.
Talking to BSS, farmer Ariful Haque of village Najirdigar in Rangpur Sadar
said tender plants of Boro rice on his five acres of land are growing
excellent and he is expecting a bumper rice output this season.
Another farmer Manik Mian of village Darshona in same area echoed Ariful,
saying tender plants of Boro rice on his six acres of land are growing
superbly predicting a bumper production of the crop this season.