Boro seedling transplantation nears end

RANGPUR, Feb 19 (BSS): The farmers have already completed transplantation of Boro seedlings on 92 per cent of targeted land area on way to achieve the fixed farming target of the crop in Rangpur agriculture region this season.
"The farmers transplanted Boro seedling on 0.44 million hectares of land, 92 per cent of the targeted 0.49 million hectares of land in the region by Monday," Horticulture Specialist of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) at its regional office Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam said on Tuesday.
The DAE has fixed a target of producing over 2.08 million tonnes of clean Boro rice from over 0.49 million hectares of land for all five districts of Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat in the agriculture region this season.
The DAE and other departments concerned have taken adequate steps to ensure smooth irrigation, supply of fuels, fertilisers and electricity and other facilities to farmers to make the intensive Boro rice farming programme successful.
"Meanwhile, 0.22 million irrigation pumps, including 2,746 deep tube-wells, over 0.22 million shallow tube-wells, 550 low-lift pumps and 261 other pumps have already been put into operation for irrigating Boro rice fields in the region," Islam said.
He said transplantation of Boro rice seedling already completed on the low-lying lands, beels, haors, flood-prone and riverine areas where farmers would complete its harvest before the next rainy season.
There is no crisis of Boro rice seedling as farmers have prepared seedbeds on 29,537 hectares of land, higher by 0.63 million hectares against requirement of preparing the same on 23,183 hectares of land.
As per the fixed target, farmers will produce 0.81 million tonnes of hybrid variety Boro rice from 0.17 million hectares of land, 1.26 million tonnes of high yielding variety rice from 0.32 million hectares and 3,952 tonnes of local variety rice from 2,037 hectares of land.
"The farmers have already transplanted hybrid variety of Boro rice seedling on 0.17 million hectares of land, high yielding variety on 0.28 million hectares and local variety of Boro rice seedling on 2,085 hectares of land by Monday in the region," Islam said.
Talking to the news agency, farmers Ariful Haque, Manik Mian and Azizul Islam of village Najirdigar in Rangpur Sadar upazila said they have already completed transplantation of Boro rice seedling on their respective lands.
Farmers Aminur Rahman of village Deabalya and Mahbubur Rahman of village Paikpara in Rajarhat upazila and Abdus Salam and Abdur Rashid of Sibram village in Sadar upazila of Kurigram said they have also completed Boro rice seedling transplantation.
They expressed satisfaction over smooth supply of electricity to irrigate Boro rice fields and adequate supply of fertilisers and strict monitoring system of the government to make the Boro rice framing programme successful.
Deputy Director of the DAE at its regional office Md Moniruzzaman said transplantation of Boro rice seedling was nearing completion amid favourable climatic conditions and the process would complete by mid-March in the region.