Rangpur, Gopalganj farmers begin Boro cultivation

OUR CORRESPONDENTS

Farmers of Rangpur agricultural region have been putting hectic effort for Boro paddy cultivation, aiming at recouping the losses they sustained in potato cultivation, while Gopalganj's farmers have also began Boro farming in full swing.

Our correspondent from Rangpur writes, with the hope of achieving a good price, the farmers in five districts under Rangpur agriculture region have started transplanting Boro seedlings on their lands.

Boro farmers have already transplanted seedlings on around 66 per cent of the targeted land, according to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Rangpur.

A good number of farmers of the agriculture region told the FE they could not recover production cost from potato cultivation this season, which was a severe blow to them. Most of the growers of the region cultivated potato this season.

In the hope of recouping the losses, they are making a vigorous effort in the cultivation of Boro paddy this year, they also said.

DAE Rangpur has set a target to bring around 509,094 hectares of land under Boro farming in Rangpur agriculture region's Rangpur, Nilphamari, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Gaibandha districts.

Besides, farmers have prepared Boro paddy seedlings on around 23,225 hectares in the agriculture region.

Farmers said before Boro, they cultivated various crops, including vegetables, wheat and maize after harvesting Aman paddy.

Rabiul, a farmer of Alampur area under Taraganj Upazila in Rangpur, said he is expecting to cultivate Boro paddy on four bighas of land this season. Last year, he got a good production as well as satisfactory price, which encouraged him to increase cultivation area.

Anisar Rahman, a farmer of Balua Mishimpur area under Mithapukur Upazila of Rangpur, said after the national election (held on Feb 12), many farmers of his area and adjacent areas have geared up Boro seedlings transplantation on their lands. Many farmers and farm labourers were busy during the parliamentary election campaign, he added.

Around Tk 20,000-21,000 is needed to cultivate Boro paddy on one bigha of land, he also said, adding that this year they had to spend an additional amount of money for Boro farming owing to exorbitant prices of fertilisers, pesticides, labour, and irrigation.

Anisar said he is optimistic about cultivating Boro paddy on eight bighas of land this season. If the price of the paddy remains at least Tk 1,400 to Tk 1,500 per maund, growers would be satisfied, he added.

DAE, Rangpur, Deputy Director Md. Sirazul Islam said that currently transplantation of Boro seedlings is going on in full swing across the region. The cultivators are

being given necessary assistances as well as advices from DAE officials so that they can get optimum yield of the crop this season, he added.

Our correspondent from Gopalganj reports, a total of 82,274 hectares of land have been brought under Boro cultivation in the district this year, according to the DAE, Gopalganj.

Hybrid varities were cultivated on 66,067 hectares; high yielding variety (HYV) Ufshi on 16,206 hectares; and local variety on just a single hectare. The DAE targets production at 400,264 tonnes and about 576,000 farmers are involved in the Boro farming, sources said.

Upazila-wise, the authorities have targeted cultivation on 21,121 hectares in Gopalganj Sadar Upazila, 13,500 hectares in Muksudpur Upazila, 12,256 hectares in Kasiani, 26,802 hectares in Kotalipara and 8,595 hectares in Tungipara Upazila in Gopalganj.

Gopalganj Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer (UAO) Mafroza Akter told the FE that all of the total of 21,121 hectares of land has been brought under Boro cultivation in Sadar Upazila this year, most of which are Origin Hybrid, or high yielding variety (HYV) Ufshi. About 127,000 farmers are involved in Boro farming in the current year.

"Besides our field workers, sub-sssistant agriculture officers of different unions under Sadar Upazila have continued monitoring the Boro crops and advicing the farmers, Ms Akter said.

Binu Bashu (26), a Boro farmer of Sadar Upazila's Golabaria village, cultivated Boro paddy Origin Hybrid on 15 acres (about six hectares) in the current

season. Binu said the growth has been satisfactory and if the weather condition remains favourable

he will get 1,500 maunds of paddy.

Dr. Md. Mamunur Rahman, deputy director (DD) DAE, Gopalganj, said they distributed 40 tonnes of Boro seeds-Origin Hybrid and Ufshi-and 32 metric tonnes of fertiliser among 17,600 farmers of five upazilas in the district free of cost.

The deputy director also said most of the farmers in the region depend on Boro crops as it is one of the major staple for the whole year. A total of 100 per cent of Boro paddy transplantation target has already been achieved and about 576,000 small and marginal farmers are involved in Boro farming, current year.

Bangladesh Agriculture Department Corporation (BADC), Gopalganj, distributed 168 tonnes of high quality of Boro seeds like SL8H, BRRI Dhan-102 and BRRI Dhan-104 among the Boro farmers this current season, official sources said.

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