Acute seedling crisis hits Boro farming in Kushtia
Tuesday, 2 February 2010
Our Correspondent
KUSHTIA, Feb 1: Farmers in the district are facing an acute shortage of seedlings at the onset of Boro season as the seedlings on a vast of tract of land have been damaged due to severe cold and dense fog.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources said a scheme has been taken up to bring 80,112 hectares under boro cultivation in the district.
Seedbeds were also prepared on 30,219 hectares for implementing the scheme. But seedlings on many seedbeds turned yellowish and rotted due to extreme cold and dense fog, sources added. This resulted in a serious crisis of seedlings in the district which in turn created panic among the farmers because it would increase their production cost abnormally.
While visiting different villages in the district this correspondent saw the damaged boro seedbeds.
In this situation, farmers in all the six upazilas of the district find it difficult to collect the required quantity of boro seedlings for cultivation.
At present, a bundle of 100 seedlings is being sold at Tk 250-300 in the local markets whereas it was Tk 40-50 a bundle last year.
Farmers at Lahinibottala village under Sadar upazila told this correspondent in utter despair that their lands were lying uncultivated due mainly to seedling crisis.
KUSHTIA, Feb 1: Farmers in the district are facing an acute shortage of seedlings at the onset of Boro season as the seedlings on a vast of tract of land have been damaged due to severe cold and dense fog.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources said a scheme has been taken up to bring 80,112 hectares under boro cultivation in the district.
Seedbeds were also prepared on 30,219 hectares for implementing the scheme. But seedlings on many seedbeds turned yellowish and rotted due to extreme cold and dense fog, sources added. This resulted in a serious crisis of seedlings in the district which in turn created panic among the farmers because it would increase their production cost abnormally.
While visiting different villages in the district this correspondent saw the damaged boro seedbeds.
In this situation, farmers in all the six upazilas of the district find it difficult to collect the required quantity of boro seedlings for cultivation.
At present, a bundle of 100 seedlings is being sold at Tk 250-300 in the local markets whereas it was Tk 40-50 a bundle last year.
Farmers at Lahinibottala village under Sadar upazila told this correspondent in utter despair that their lands were lying uncultivated due mainly to seedling crisis.