By Dr Aynal Haque
RAJSHAHI, April 23, 2021 (BSS)- Farmers have started harvesting Boro paddy at present with festivity by dint of satisfactory yield in the region including its vast Barind tract.
Now, most of the farming fields have taken an eye-catching look as early varieties of paddy are now in ripening stages.
The mind-blowing yield has created a high hope of supplementing the government efforts of ensuring food security amid the adverse impact of COVID-19 pandemic.
At this initial stage, farmers are seen harvesting some high yielding and short duration varieties like BR-28 and local jira variety. The other varieties will be harvested within the next two to three weeks.
“I have harvested 22 mounds of yield of BR-28 from each bigha of land,” said Abdul Matin, a farmer of Choitannapur village under Godagari upazila, adding that the last year’s yield was 19 mounds.
He has cultivated Boro paddy on 12 bighas of land this season saying all of his farming condition is very much optimistic.
Golam Mostofa, 56, another farmer of Kacharipara village, who have brought 15 bighas of land under the paddy farming this season. He has harvested a few parts of the paddy attaining 23 mounds of yield of jira variety from per bigha of land.
Sub Assistant Agriculture Officer Atanu Sarker told BSS that the farmers are now delighted over their achieved yield, adding : “Suitable climatic conditions and government support to the farmers are being adjudged as the main reasons behind the good yield.”
Meanwhile, the Boro farming has exceeded the target by 6,783 hectares of land in Rajshahi division this season as the farmers have cultivated paddy on more lands compared to the previous season because they are happy with the selling price of transplanted Aman paddy at present.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has set the target of producing 35.24 lakh tonnes of paddy from 8.10 lakh hectares of land in all eight districts of the division during the current season.
But the farmers have brought 8.17 lakh hectares of land generating scopes of additional rice production, officials said.
Sirajul Islam, additional director of the DAE, said 24,600 small and marginal farmers were given support with seed and fertilizers in the division under the government’s agriculture incentive programme to boost the Boro rice production.
Jakir Hossain, 54, a farmer of Hatibandha village under Godagari upazila, has cultivated paddy on 20 bighas of land this season whereas the previous season’s acreage was 15 bighas.
Good yield and enhanced selling prices of both paddy and straw have encouraged him to cultivate the paddy on more lands.
“I have sold only straw worth around Taka 75,000 in addition to the paddy last season,” Hossain said, adding that many of his co-villagers have attained success in paddy farming.
Currently, businessmen and wholesalers purchase paddy and straw from the farmers’ field directly as the grassroots growers are being benefited in many ways, said Hossain.
He added that the price of both paddy and rice during the previous Boro, Aush and Aman were seen increased as a result of government-level rice procurement drives inspiring the farmers to cultivate Boro paddy on more lands.
Sarker also said the farmers can harvest some of the advanced varieties including BR-28 within the next five to six days.
“I’ve got a better price of the latest Aman paddy. So, I have cultivated Boro paddy on 10 bighas of land,” said Abu Rahman, a farmer of Gubirpara village under Tanore upazila, adding that the farmers are happy over the paddy cultivation.
Abul Kashem, a farmer of Mayamari village under Niamatpur upazila, said he has cultivated paddy on 18-bigha of land this season.
In the previous year, farmers have produced 34.23 lakh tonnes of Boro rice from 8.03 lakh hectares of land in all eight districts under Rajshahi division.