81,940 hectares to be brought under Boro cultivation in Jhenidah

JHENIDAH, Feb 10: Ninety-five per cent of the mammoth target undertaken by the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Jhenidah, to bring 81,940 hectares of land in all the six upazilas of the district under Boro cultivation with a production target of 0.319605 metric tonnes (mts) of rice has already been achieved as of Tuesday.

DAE sources said, of the total, 18,125 hectares of land would be brought under cultivation in Sadar Upazila, 15,375 hectares in Kaligonj Upazila, 5,710 hectares in Kotchandpur Upazila, 19,800 hectares in Moheshpur Upazila, 15,210 hectares in Shailkupa Upazila and 7,720 hectares in Harinakundu Upazila.

According to the DAE sources, varieties of Boro seedlings have been transplanted everywhere in the district. BIRRI variety includes BRRI 28, BRRI 29, BARRI 33, BARRI 45, BARRI 50, BARRI 55 and zinc enriched BRRI 64, and BINA dhan 8. The Indian varieties include Kazollata, Ratna, Suballata, minicate and GS while the hybrid ones are SL8H, Hira, ACI 2, Sathi, Aftab, Agro-14, Rajkumar, Rupashi Bangla and Jagaroni.

To make the Boro paddy cultivation a success, different commercial banks, including Bangladesh Krishi Bank have disbursed a significant amount of credit among the farmers in the district, sources concerned said.

While visiting seedbeds and Boro fields in different areas of the district, this correspondent found the farmers busy preparing lands and transplanting seedlings in their fields.

Though Boro seedlings in the district were affected by adverse cold wave coupled with foggy weather in the preliminary stage, the weather condition now remains favourable here for preparing fields and transplanting seedlings. As a result, farmers are expecting a bumper yield of Boro paddy this year.

Abdus Sabur Mukul Mondol of Bhalki, Abul Kalam Azad Zoardar of Shitly under Harinakundu upazila and some other peasants of shailkupa, Kaligonj and Kotchandpur upazilas expressed their apprehension about falling short of supply of fertilisers and fuel diesel due to the countrywide persistent blockade coupled with hartals.  Their dreams of getting bumper yields might be shattered, they apprehend.

Meanwhile, many farmers said that for the oscillating situation of the country labourers from distant places, including Natore and Pabna districts cannot easily come here. So, their labour cost has increased significantly.

Director (DD), DAE, Jhenidah Shah Md. Akramul Haque and Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer Dr. Khan Md. Moniruzzaman told the FE that their field-level officers were motivating the farmers to adopt the modern technological support to boost production of paddy. The technologies include the establishment of ideal seedbed and dry seedbed, use of organic manure, balanced fertiliser, Gutty urea and AWD system to reduce irrigation water, LCC, parching, light trap, seed plot for seed preservation and line showing.

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