GOPALGANJ, Jan 13: Boro cultivation may be hampered in the district this season due to severe cold weather.
According to sources, a good number of farmers said they failed to protect their seedbeds from the cold even after spraying pesticide. Boro seedbeds in huge area have turned yellowish.
The situation has been prevailing in all the five upazilas of the district.
According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Gopalganj, a total of 3,876 hectares of land have been brought under Boro seedbed preparation in the district this year. About 30 per cent to 35 per cent seedbeds have already been affected by intense cold and dense fog.
Official sources said DAE has set a target to bring a total of 77,530 hectares of land under Boro farming.
Runu Baidya, sub-assistant agriculture officer of Durgapur union, said cold weave affected the Boro seedbeds badly. "We suggested the growers to cover the seedbeds with polythene sheets", she added.
Ramesh Chandra Bramha, deputy director (Agriculture), Gopalganj, said the start of Boro cultivation may be delayed in the area. If the weather condition prevails for a few more days Boro farmers may count serious loss.
Our Naogaon Correspondent adds: Seedbeds prepared for transplantation of Boro seedlings are turning yellowish and getting damaged as cold weather and dense fog are prevailing in the district for last couple of weeks.
Sources said, peasants are worried as they have failed to protect their seedbeds from the effects of cold and fog even after spraying pesticides several times.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources said the official target for Boro paddy cultivation was set at 0.19 million hectares of land under eleven upazilas of the district this season.
To meet the target, farmers have prepared Boro seedbeds on some 30,000 hectares of land. But, a huge portion of the seedbeds has been affected by the cold and fog.
One Obaidullah of Naogaon sadar upazila informed his Boro seedbeds were affected and half of the saplings have been damaged till now.
"I have been spraying pesticides on my seedbeds for last several days as suggested by local agriculture officers, but I could not protect my saplings", he added.
Upazila agriculture officers said biting cold and thick fog have caused fungal infection to the Boro seedbeds.
Farmers have been given suggestion to apply pesticide appropriate for defending fungal attack on their affected seedbeds, they added.
Our Bogura Correspondent writes: Prolonged cold is damaging Boro seedbeds of a vast area in the district.
Thousands of Boro growers in all the 12 upazilas of the district are worried as their seedbeds have begun to turn yellow. Some of the seedbeds have already died for impact of cold wave sweeping across the area.
DAE office sources said Boro peasants are expecting to grow the crop on 0.2 million hectares of land this season as they prepared seedbeds on over 20,000 hectares.
DAE officials said Boro production target for the area has been set over 0.8 million tonne.
Some farmers said seedbeds on some 5,000 hectares of land have already dried for the severe cold. Last year its production was satisfactory but the present situation has brought worries among the farmers.
"I prepared Boro seedbeds on two decimals of land this season. Half of the seedlings has already damaged," said farmer Muslim Uddin of Dupchanchia upazila.
Deputy Director of DAE Md Abul Kashem Azad said, "We suggested farmers to use lukewarm water at the field in night."
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