Transplantation of Boro rice seedling gets momentum

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RANGPUR, Jan 24, 2019 (BSS) – As weather marked improvement with little
rise in the minimum temperatures, transplantation of Boro rice seedling
started getting momentum everywhere in Rangpur agriculture region in recent
days.

Talking to BSS, Horticulture Specialist of the Department of Agriculture
Extension (DAE) at its regional office Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam said
transplantation process of Boro rice is now continuing well following
improvement of weather condition.

“The farmers have already transplanted Boro rice seedling on 54,376
hectares of land, 10.93 percent of the fixed target of farming the crop on
4.97-lakh hectares of land by Wednesday in the region,” he said.

Meanwhile, the farmers have prepared seedbeds on 29,492 hectares of
land, higher by 5,309 hectares or 27.21 percent against the fixed target of
preparing the same on 23,183 hectares of land in five districts of the
region.

However, transplantation of Boro seedling is nearing completion in the
low-lying lands, beels, haors, flood-prone and riverine areas as the farmers
will complete harvest of the crop there before commencement of the next rainy
season.

“The DAE has fixed a target of producing over 20.88-lakh tonnes of clean
Boro rice from 4.97-lakh hectares of land for all five districts of Rangpur,
Gaibandha, Kurigram, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat in the agriculture region,”
Islam said.

Of them, the farmers will produce 8.16-lakh tonnes of hybrid variety
Boro rice from 1.71-lakh hectares of land, 12.68-lakh tonnes of high yielding
variety rice from 3.23-lakh hectares and 3,952 tonnes of local variety Boro
rice from 2,037 hectares of land.

The farmers have so far transplanted Boro seedling on 11,880 hectares of
land in Rangpur, 28,630 hectares in Gaibandha, 9,510 hectares in Kurigram,
2,750 hectares in Lalmonirhat and 2,406 hectares in Nilphamari districts till
Wednesday.

Deputy Director of the DAE at its regional office Md Moniruzzaman said
43,959 deep and shallow tube wells and low-lift pumps have already put into
operation covering 54,376 hectares of land by yesterday.

“The number irrigation pumps will rise up to 2.55-lakh lakh units with
progress of transplantation of Boro rice seedling on more land to make
farming programme of the cereal crop successful in the region this season,”
he said.

Regional Additional Director of the DAE Md Shah Alam said the
authorities have taken adequate steps to ensure smooth supply of fertilisers
and diesel and are monitoring the power supply situation to make the Boro
framing programme successful.

Talking to BSS, farmers Solaiman Alim Jahurul Haque and Alim Uddin of
different villages here said they were continuing transplantation of Boro
rice seedling smoothly to complete the process by the next two to three
weeks.