Boro farming goes on in full swing

Boro paddy cultivation is going on in full swing in different districts of the country with an eye to a bumper production of the staple crop this season.
A report from Oue Sylhet Correspondent says, the farmers of the division are busy cultivating the paddy with the winter season coming to end in the country.
"A total of 493,542 hectares of land has been brought under Boro cultivation in the division this season," says an official at the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Sylhet.
Of the total, the paddy is being cultivated on 276,225 hectares in haor region and the remaining 217,317 hectares in other areas.
According to the official, the highest 223,407 hectares of land has been brought under Boro cultivation in Sunamganj while 87,185 hectares in Sylhet, 59,213 hectares in Moulvibazar and 123,337 hectares in Habiganj.
The farmers of the haor region have been requested to cultivate the short duration and early varieties of paddy to avert different risks.
Locals have alleged that a good tract of land lie fallow in Sylhet, Moulvibazar and in Habiganj districts due to lack of irrigation facilities.
But, poor and marginal farmers face troubles in agriculture due to a hike in the prices of seed, water, labour and other agri-inputs, farmers said.
Abdul Wahab, a farmer of Nolua village in Golapganj upazila of Sylhet, has said they face trouble in paddy farming due to a rise in labour cost.
Meanwhile, the DAE has distributed free seeds of high yielding varieties and fertilisers to 137,000 listed poor farmers in the region.
The government has also given 125,000 other farmers hybrid seeds and fertilisers. Each farmer has got the assistance.
BSS reports from Manikganj, according to sources at the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), farmers have started to cultivate Boro paddy in full swing in Manikganj.
This year, a target was set to cultivate the paddy on 48,775 hectare of land in the district.
The sources also said some 17,554 hectares of land has so far been brought under Boro cultivation.
The DAE has set a target to cultivate local boro variety on 500 hectares on the riverbeds of the Padma, the Jamuna, the Dhaleshwari, the Kaliganga, the Ichhamati and other inland small rivers in the district as well.
Besides, farmers in Panchagarh district have been encouraged in massive Boro paddy cultivation as they have got fair price of Aman paddy this season.
The paddy straw has a huge demand as it is used as fodder for cattle.
Farmers said Aman paddy straw from one bigha (33 decimal) of land sells at least Tk 4,000. The DAE has set a target to bring 30,125 hectares under Boro cultivation in the district with a production target of 133,755 tonnes paddy this season. The DAE has also given hybrid Boro seeds to some farmers for their demonstration plots.
When contacted, DAE Deputy Director Naimul Huda told the BSS that the Boro cultivation target may exceed this year. He said farmers will get training on modern methods of cultivation to achieve the production target.
The agriculture officer will monitor the Boro paddy field and provide necessary advice to the farmers.
The DAE is expecting a bumper Boro production as there are no shortages of fertilisers and irrigation.

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