Boro harvest ends in Gaibandha

GAIBANDHA, June 23 (BSS): Harvest of Boro paddy ended in all the seven upazilas in the district this month amid much enthusiasm to the farmers.
Office sources said the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) set a target to cultivate Boro paddy on a total 1,27,857 hectares of land in the district this year with the production target of 5,22,578 tonnes of rice.
Later, the target fixed by the department was exceeded and the paddy was farmed on 1,30,670 hectares of land bringing more 2,813 hectares of land by virtue of favorable climatic condition during the current season.
Of them, some 21,060 hectares of land were brought under the cultivation in Sadar, 15,780 in Sadullapur, 13,680 in Palashbari, 30,950 in Gobindaganj, 25,500 in Sundarganj, 15,000 in Shaghata and 8,700 in Fulchhari upazilas.
As the Boro paddy grew well on the land during the current season, the growers harvested the crop amid much enthusiasm and got bumper production this season.
To make the cultivation programme a grand success, Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation timely distributed high quality Aman seed to the farmers of the district at fair prices.
Besides, different state run commercial banks including Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank disbursed loans on easy terms to the poor and grassroots farmers of the district.
Lal Miah, a farmer of Barobaldia village under Malibari union of Sadar upazila, said farmers' community was much happy as they got desired output and fair prices against the produce by selling it in the local markets this year.
Additional deputy director of DAE Showkat Osman said favourable climatic condition, proper distribution of high quality seed by the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) and timely supply of fertilisers and other inputs to the growers were the reasons for getting desired production of the crop.
Apart from this, DAE also provided training programmes to the farmers of the district for adopting modern technologies of paddy cultivation, crop management and preservation of quality seed, he also said.
Talking to the news agency, director of DAE AKM Ruhul Amin said after the harvest of Boro, the farmers are taking preparation to farm T-Aman paddy on their land.
By this time, many farmers of the district have already farmed Aus variety on their land to get an additional crop at the middle of Boro and Aman season, he also said.