RAJSHAHI, May 2, 2020 (BSS)- Farmers have started harvesting of boro paddy amidst satisfactory yield everywhere in Rajshahi division including its vast barind tract creating a high hope of supplementing the government efforts of fighting against the adverse impact of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
At this present initial stage, farmers are seen harvesting some high yielding and short duration varieties like Brridhan-28, Brridhan-81 and Brridhan-86 developed newly by Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) and local jirashail variety, said Dr Aminul Islam, Chief Scientific Officer of BRRI.
The other varieties will be harvested within next two to three weeks as most of the rice-growing fields are now at the ripening stage. He, however, said reaping of paddy in the region would be delayed because paddy was cultivated here after harvesting potatoes.
Nur Muhammad, a farmer of Gollapara village under Tanore Upazila, has attained significant success after cultivating Brridhan-86 that yielded 29 mounds from per bigha of land on an average.
He also said there is a spectacular yield of paddy in the fields, adding he did not witness such an excellent yield of paddy in the field during his lifetime.
Another farmer Erfan Ali of Jahidnagar village under Gomastapur Upazila in Chapainawabgonj district said he has attained 30 mounds from per bigha of land after cultivating Brridhan-81 on two acres of land. He terms the yield as an over-expectation.
Ali hoped for a bumper production of paddy unless there is any natural disaster during the reaping season.
Abul Hossain of Pirijpur village under Godagari said he has cultivated Boro paddy on 10-bighas of land and hopes to reap paddy within next one week.
Like him, many other farmers of the upazila were highly hopeful of a bumper paddy production this season. Hossain expects a good profit by selling paddy if the market price of Paddy is satisfactory.
Meanwhile, Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has set a target of producing around 34.30 lakh tonnes of Irri-boro rice from 8.08 lakh hectares of land in all eight districts under the division during the current season.
Sudhendra Nath Roy, Additional Director of DAE, Rajshahi region, said target has been set to produce 31.57 lakh tonnes of high yielding varieties rice from 7.51 lakh hectares, 2.65 lakh tonnes of hybrid varieties of rice from 52,910 hectares and 7,729 tonnes of local varieties of rice from 3,840 hectares of land.
Farmers of the division were provided 317 Combined Harvester machines and 183 Reaper machines this year to ease harvesting paddy in due time.
A combined harvester can harvest, thresh, clean and pack rice on three bighas of land for only an hour.
Kamal Uddin Talukder, Additional Director of DAE, Bogura Region, said reaping of paddy has been started in Chalan Beel and other wetlands in Naogaon, Natore and Pabna districts in full swing.
He further said there was no shortage of farm labourers in the region.
Hundreds of unemployed construction workers, brick kilns workers, rickshaw van pullers were now staying idle in their houses in addition to farm labourers. If needed, those labourers would be employed in harvesting paddy. The combined harvester machines and the reaper machines are also being used properly to reap the paddy home as soon as possible.