The cost of Boro paddy production has risen due to higher labour and rise in pesticide costs in Gaibandha this season.
The growers said due to acute shortage of farm labourers, wages of workers have increased, leading to the rise in paddy cultivation cost by Tk 1,500 to Tk 2,000 per bigha compared to last year. Besides, increase in the price of pesticides in the market is aslo hampering the plantation of the paddy.
However, Reza Shahriar, a grower of Palashbari upazila told The Financial Express that compared to the last few years, he is getting good prices by selling paddy in the current market. For this he is trying to cultivate in most of his land.
Abdul Matin, a farmer of Chakbarul village of Badiyakhali union of Gaibandha Sadar upazila, said the cost of planting paddy in one bigha of land was Tk 12,000 to 12.5000 last year. However, this year the prices of inputs have increased. Farmers are spending Tk 1,5000 to 20,000 spending on one bigha of land.
However, farmers in seven upazilas of the district are passing busy time planting seedlings of IRRI-Boro paddy, ignoring the biting cold at the beginning of cultivation season
The upazilas are Sadar, Phulchari, Saghata, Sadu-llapur, Palashbari, Gobindganj and Sundarganj upazila.
As the price of Boro paddy is good in the market this time, the farmers of the district are working in the field from dawn to dusk.
Gaibandha District Agriculture Directorate has set a target of cultivating Boro paddy on 1 lakh 28 thousand 365 hectares of land in seven upazilas of the district this session.
Among them, 21 thousand 305 hectares have been brought under Boro cultivation in Sadar upazila, 8 thousand 304 hectares in Phulchari upazila, 14 thousand 704 hectares in Saghata upazila, 14 thousand 408 hectares in Sadullapur upazila, 11 thousand 809 hectares in Palashbari upazila, 31 thousand 105 hectares in Gobindganj upazila, 26 thousand 730 in Sundarganj upazila.
Deputy Director of Gaibandha District Agricultural Extension Department Md. Khorshed Alam said the target of Iri-Boro rice cultivation has been set on 1 lakh 28 thousand 365 hectares of land in the district this season. If the weather is favorable, the area of Boro cultivation may be expanded next year.
Farmers are advised to make balanced use of fertilizer to grow Boro paddy.
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