SYLHET, March 13, 2020 (BSS) – According to the Department of Agriculture
Extension (DAE) sources, farmers have cultivated Boro paddy on around 4.74
lakh hectares of land in Sylhet region during the current season.
“We had fixed the target of bringing around 4.73 lakh hectares of land
under the Boro farming but the farmers cultivated 4.74 lakh hectares with a
plan to produce over 18.64 lakh tonnes of rice in the division,” said
Agriculturist Majumdar Md Elias, deputy director of the DAE, while talking to
BSS yesterday.
He said the existing congenial weather has made the paddy farmers
optimistic to get good yielding of Boro paddy in the region.
Of the total targets, 88,000 hectares of land cultivated under hybrid
variety, 3, 73,855 hectares of land under high yielding variety and 10,515
hectares of land cultivated under local variety of the paddy.
Of the cultivated land, 2, 19,300 hectares have been cultivated in
Sunamganj district achieving 99.93 percent of target. In Habiganj district,
1, 20,800 hectares, in Sylhet district 80,565 hectares and 53,530 hectares of
land in Moulvibazar district have been cultivated with exceeding targets.
Currently, farmers are passing busy times in nursing the growing plants
everywhere in the region with the hope of expected yield. Most of the farming
areas have become green with breakthrough of farmers harsh efforts and
favorable climate condition.
Agriculture officers said steps have been taken to ensure smooth Boro rice
cultivation this season. The farming is going on in full swing across the
region, the sources added.
Talking to BSS Abdur Rahman Chowdhury, 45, a farmer of Sunamganj sadar
upazila, said he has cultivated paddy on 60 bigha’s of land. The paddy fields
which were brought under advanced varieties are now blooming stages, he said.
Umme Habiba, regional agriculture information service officer, said the
DAE and other agriculture-related organisations are ensuring smooth supply of
seed, fertilizers and electricity to the farmers to ensure smooth Boro paddy
cultivation.
She said now the farmers were imparted training on how to adopt
conservation agriculture technologies like Alternate Drying and Wetting
irrigation method at a larger scale then farming of Boro paddy to save
irrigation for increasing its output at reduced costs.