Boro paddy harvest has been slowed down over shortage of harvesting labourers in Gaibandha and inclement weather in Gopalganj, sources said.
Our correspondent from Gaibandha reports, IRRI-Boro paddy has been cultivated on 129,020 hectares in seven upazilas of the district and continuous rainfall for the past few days have partially damaged the crops on 212 hectares, according to Atikul Islam, deputy director, Department of Agricultural Extension, DAE, Gaibandha.
As the threat of rain damage looms, farmers said they want to harvest their hard-achieved crops soon to save them from natural disasters.
Farmers also said cultivating paddy on a bigha of land costs Tk 11,000-12,000, including transplantation, tillage, irrigation, using fertilisers and pesticides. Per bigha yields some 23 to 25 maunds of rice and the current price of the staple ranges from Tk 620-720 per maund.
Abdur Rahman, a farmer of Goailbari village in Gaibandha Sadar's Badiakhali Union, said they are not getting a labourer for a wage of Tk700-800 per day. He added they have been suffering loss with paddy cultivation this season and they will not be able to recoup production cost if they spend too much on labourers. Palash Akhond, another farmer of Sadar Upazila, said the yield has been good this season.
Gaibandha DAE DD Atikul said farmers will be able to harvest their crops if congenial weather prevails.
Our correspondent from Gopalganj adds, Boro farmers are expecting bumper production this year, but the pace of harvest has slowed due to inclement weather.
A total of 82,593 hectares have been brought under Boro cultivation this year, with hybrid and high yielding Ufshi paddy
variety being the most prominent one, according to sources at the Department of Agricultural Extentsion (DAE), Gopalganj. About 578,000 farmers are involved in the Boro cultivation and the probable production target is at 726,818 tonnes.
Washim Mondal, 42, a Boro farmer of Bharab Nagar village in Tungipara's Dumuria, said he cultivated Boro on 10 bighas this year and the condition of the crop would remain satisfactory if the weather remains favourable. He said he will get 480 maunds of Boro paddy after spending Tk 180,000, and the current market price of his produce is at Tk 480,000.
Parvati Bairagi, sub-assistant agriculture officer (SAAO) of Dumuria Union, Tungipara, said a total of 3,020 hectares have been brought under Boro cultivation in the union this year, with most of the crops comprising of hybrid variety. About 9,939 Boro farmers, including male and female, are involved in the cultivation and farmers already began harvesting their paddy. Meanwhile, the SAAO said 48 per cent of Boro have already been harvested in the union. A labourer is being paid Tk 1,200 to Tk 1,300 per day for harvesting the crop.
Md. Rakibul Islam, upazila agriculture officer (UAO), Tungipara, said a total of 8,595 hectares has been brought under boro farming this current year, with a probable production target about at 62,313 tonnes (MT). Boro farmers in this region are happy due to high yield of paddy, the UAO added.
Dr. Md. Mamunur Rahman, deputy director Agriculture, Gopalganj, said so far 32 per cent of Boro paddy has already been harvested and a labour crisis has been ongoing.
atik.mms2014@gmail.com
alimuzzaman81@gmail.com
Satto Ranjan Basu, 55, a Boro farmer of Sadar upazila's Golabaria village, said he cultivated "Hira-2" paddy on five bighas of land and its harvesting is ongoing. He said he spent Tk 92,000 as cultivation cost and expecting Tk 225,000 from the sale of about 225 maunds of his produced paddy.
He also said although they are expecting an increased production compared to last year, a huge crisis of harvesting labourers has been ongoing. The wages of the labourers are very high, Satto Ranjan said.
Sanjoy Kumar Kundu, additional deputy director (ADD), said farmers have been struggling due to high wage of labourers and the targeted production is at 8.8 tonnes this year.
Farmers were unable to harvest their crops in time due to adverse weather condition, the ADD added.
However, farmers in this region will be benefited from the Boro crops the most, DD said.