RANGPUR, Jan 17, 2020 (BSS) – With little improvement in the cold wave
situation, farmers have begun transplantation of Boro rice seedlings to make
the farming of the crop successful in Rangpur agriculture region this season.
Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said farmers
could not start transplantation of Boro rice seedlings from the first week of
January following slower growth of seedlings due to the sweeping mild to
moderate cold wave in the region.
However, with the improvement of the weather conditions during the past
couple of days, farmers have already started transplantation of Boro rice
seedlings on their crop land and the process will get momentum onward in the
region.
Talking to BSS, Deputy Director of the DAE at its regional office
Agriculturist Md Moniruzzaman said farmers have prepared Boro rice seedbeds
on 26,960 hectares of land exceeding the fixed target on 23,201 hectares of
land by 16.20 percent in the region.
“The farmers have already transplanted Boro rice seedlings on 605
hectares of land as the process will get momentum by this month-end in all
five districts of Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat in
Rangpur agriculture region,’ he said.
The government has fixed a target of producing over 21.76-lakh tonnes of
clean Boro rice (32.64-lakh tonnes of paddy) from 5.03-lakh hectares of land
for all five districts of Rangpur agriculture region during this Rabi season.
Senior Coordinator (Agriculture and Environment) of RDRS Bangladesh
Agriculturist Mamunur Rashid said transplantation of Boro rice seedlings
continues in full swing in the low-lying char lands, beels and riverine areas
now in the region.
“Like in the previous seasons, farmers are targeting to complete
harvesting of the Boro rice crop on low-lying char lands, beels and riverine
areas before commencement of the next rainy season,” Rashid added.
Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur region Agriculturist Muhammad
Ali ample steps have been taken to ensure smooth supply of seeds,
fertilisers, electricity and delivering technologies to farmers for making
the Boro rice farming a success.
“As a result of conducting massive motivational works, farmers are
largely adopting Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) irrigation technology
while farming Boro rice to save irrigation water and increase output at
reduced costs,” he said.
Ali firmly hoped that many farmers would adopt conservation agriculture
technologies like AWD irrigation technology in farming Boro rice to increase
its output reducing lifting of underground water, saving electricity and
improving the environment.
Like many others, farmer Ariful Haque of village Najirdigar here told
BSS that he has completed preparing Boro rice seedbeds and begun
transplantation of the seedlings on his four acres of land to complete the
process by February 15 next.
“As per suggestion of agriculture officers, I used to cover the growing
tender plants of Boro rice seedlings on my seedbeds by polythene sheets and
irrigated those amid cold and foggy weather to save those successfully from
cold injuries,” he said.