RANGPUR, Feb 7, 2019 (BSS) – Transplantation of Boro rice seedling is nearing completion as the farmers have already brought 62.48 percent of the targeted land areas under its cultivation in all five districts under Rangpur agriculture region.
The government has taken adequate steps to make the intensive Boro rice farming programme successful through ensuring smooth irrigation, supply of fuels, fertilisers and electricity and other facilities to the farmers this season.
Officials of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said the agriculture related departments and organisations are assisting the farmers and working with them as the transplantation process of Boro rice seedling is nearing completion.
Horticulture Specialist of the DAE at its regional office Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam said the farmers have already transplanted Boro rice seedling on 3.10-lakh hectares of land against fixed target of farming the crop on 4.97-lakh hectares of land.
“There is crisis of Boro rice seedling as the farmers have prepared seedbeds on 29,492 hectares of land, higher by 5,309 hectares against the fixed target of preparing the same on 23,183 hectares of land in all five districts of the region,” he said.
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 under the agriculture region this season.
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 already transplanted Boro seedling on 69,626 hectares of land in Rangpur, 1.03-lakh hectares in Gaibandha, 84,875 hectares in Kurigram, 20,700 hectares in Lalmonirhat and 32,010 hectares in Nilphamari districts till Wednesday.
Meanwhile, transplantation of Boro rice seedling already completed on the low-lying lands, beels, haors, flood-prone and riverine areas where the farmers will complete its harvest before commencement of the next rainy season.
Talking to BSS, Deputy Director of the DAE at its regional office Md Moniruzzaman said transplantation of Boro rice seedling was continuing smoothly amid favourable climatic conditions as the process would complete by this month-end in the region.
“Over 1.66 lakh irrigation pumps, including power and diesel driven 2,317 deep tube wells, 1.63-lakh shallow tube wells, 215 low lift pumps and 174 other pumps have been put into operation so far for irrigating the Boro rice fields in the region,” he said.
“The farmers are largely using water conserving technologies like Alternate Wetting and Drying Irrigation method and seedling transplantation machines to enhance Boro rice yield at lower costs and reducing lifting of underground water,” Moniruzzaman added.
While traveling vast areas of Rangpur and Nilphamari districts today, this Reporter observed the farmers were transplanting Boro rice seedling and tender Boro rice plants were growing superbly everywhere amid favourable climatic conditions.