Sylhet cultivators to start Aus farming soon

SYLHET, Mar 28: A good number of farmers in the greater Sylhet region are now getting prepared for cultivating Aus paddy as the farming season would begin soon.

The DAE in the last year had revised the division's target from its initial target of 133,028 hectares to 176,919 hectares in a bid to recoup the loss of Boro paddy by the repeated and early floods.

However, the total Aus paddy cultivated area during the Kharif-1 season stood at 170, 782 hectares last year.

An official at the DAE's Sylhet Divisional office informed today a targeted programme has already been taken up to bring 174,824 hectares of land in the 4 districts under Aus cultivation.

The total area includes 65,703 hectares in Sylhet, 49,809 hectares in Moulvibazar, 46,466 hectares in Habiganj and 12,846 hectares in Sunamganj district.

The total target of production has also been set at 440,807 metric tonnes of rice, the official added. The figure includes 1138 metric tonnes from Hybrid and 434,250 metric tonnes from high yielding varieties while 5420 metric tonnes would be from the Local varieties.

The target for preparing seedbed has also been set on 8828 hectares of land. It includes, 3330 hectares in Sylhet, 2520 hectares in Moulvibazar, 2320 hecatres in Habiganj and 658 hectares in Sunamganj district. Seedbed setting is expected to be started in weeks.

There would be a programme for incentives for some selected poor farmers, the official added.

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