RANGPUR, June 14, 2021 (BSS) – With multi-dimensional support from the government, farmers have produced an all-time record 22 lakh tonnes of clean Boro rice (33 lakh tonnes in terms of paddy) this season in Rangpur Agriculture Region.
Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said farmers have exceeded the fixed production target of producing 21.54 lakh tonnes of clean Boro rice ((32.31 lakh tonnes of paddy) by about 2.14 percent or 46,391 tonnes of rice this time.
“Farmers achieved the super bumper Boro rice output following various effective steps taken by the government across the region this season,” Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur region Agriculturist Bibhu Bhusan Ray told BSS.
The steps included distribution of special incentives among small and marginal farmers, inspiring farmers in enhancing cultivation of high yielding and hybrid varieties of Boro rice on more land areas, use of latest technologies, proper fertilisation, agronomical managements, smooth supply of fertilisers and electricity for irrigation.
Earlier, the DAE had fixed a target of producing 21.54 lakh tonnes of clean Boro rice (32.31 lakh tonnes of paddy) from 4.96 lakh hectares of land for all five districts in the region this season.
“Braving the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, farmers had finally cultivated Boro rice on over 5.03 lakh hectares of land, 1.41 percent higher than the fixed farming target this season,” he said.
However, the recent bad weather and hail storms totally damaged the standing Boro crop on 1,238 hectares of land in Rangpur and Gaibandha districts recently.
“Farmers finally completed harvest of the crop on the remaining 5,02,277 hectares of land last week and produced 22 lakh tonnes of rice at the average yield rate of 4.38 tonnes per hectare of land in the region,” Ray said.
Earlier, farmers produced 2.15 lakh tonnes in 2020, 21.66 lakh tonnes of rice in 2019, 20.90 lakh tonnes in 2018, 20.56 lakh tonnes of rice in 2017 and 20.64 lakh tonnes of Boro rice in 2016 in the region.
“The field level DAE officials and experts extended necessary assistance to the farmers and provided latest technologies to make the intensive Boro rice cultivation programme a success this season,” Roy added.
Talking to BSS, Agriculturist Dr. Md. Abdul Mazid, who got the Independence Award 2018 Medal (food security), said timely transplantation of seedlings on major land areas by February 15 mainly largely contributed to bumper Boro rice yield this season.
“Expanded adoption of latest agriculture technologies and favourable climatic conditions and frequent rainfalls also contributed largely to the bumper production of Boro rice yield in the region,” Dr Mazid added.
Talking to BSS, farmers Manik Mian, Echhahaq Ali, Aiyub Ali, Zaved Ali, Helal Mian and Mofizar Rahman of different villages in Rangpur said they had cultivated Boro rice on one to five acres of land each this season.
All of them have completed harvesting Boro rice on their cropland, got a bumper output of the crop and expressed happiness as the government has started procuring Boro paddy from farmers at fair prices across the region.
“We are getting excellent market prices of Boro paddy at rates between Taka 850 and 950 per mound (every 40 kgs) in local markets,” said farmer Ariful Haque Batul of Najirdigar village under Sadar upazila of the district.