NETRAKONA, Jun 25, 2020 (BSS)- Farmers of Netrakona are happy for effectively exceeding this year’s production target of Boro cultivation, apparently thought to be “ surplus rice area of the country .
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) office sources here said, Boro cultivators have produced 7.53 lakhs metric tonnes of Boro rice from 1,84, 530 hectors of land in the district by exceeding this year’s production target fixed at 7.45 lakhs metric tonnes amid pandemic Coronavirus situation.
“It has been possible by the Boro cultivators to achieve the bumper production of Boro rice after being inspired by the logistic and financial supports of the present government led by prime minister Sheikh Hasina” , said Deputy Director (DD) of DAE Netrakona Habibur Rahman.
Highlighting different farmers-friendly programs undertaken by the government for making the cultivators capable for smooth and timely running the Boro cultivation network, the DD said, the government provided combined paddy harvesters and paddy reaper machines to the door-steps of the farmers side by side sending the farm-labourers from northern areas of the country to the Haor areas of the district to facilitate the harvesting process.
Apart from this , the government as per directives of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ensured smooth supply of improved quality Boro seeds, fertilizers, irrigation machineries, uninterrupted supply of electricity and other agricultural inputs to help the farmers.
He said, the government also timely disbursed Boro crops loan among the cultivators to enable them to run their Boro cultivation without facing financial crisis.
The farmers are getting better market prices of their newly harvested Boro rice as the government has already started country-wide Boro rice procurement drive .
“Meanwhile, under the Boro rice procurement drive of the government, a target has been fixed here by the District Food Department to procure 36000 metric tonnes of boiled rice and 4000 metric tonnes of non-boiled rice from the 240 enlisted millers and 20,000 metric tonnes of Boro paddy directly from the farmers in the district”, said Suraiya Khatun, District Food Controller, Netrakona.
The food department has already opened 12 paddy and rice purchasing centres in ten upazilas of the district, she said adding “ ,we have purchased 7000 metric tonnes of boiled rice and 100 metric tonnes of non-boiled rice from the millers and 1700 metric tonnes of Boro paddy from the farmers through purchasing centres”.