Boro, wheat cultivation hampered due to seed crisis
Sunday, 4 November 2007
CHAPAINAWABGANJ, Nov 3 (UNB): Farmers of the district might not achieve the target of Boro and wheat cultivation due to shortage of seeds.
According to Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), farmers have set a target to cultivate Boro on 44,940 hectares of land while wheat on 15,000 hectares in the district during the current season. To achieve the target, they will need 990 tonnes of boro seeds and 1,800 tonnes of wheat seeds.
While contacted farmers said that they would start preparing boro seedbeds and wheat cultivation in the middle of the current month. But they are apprehending that they might not achieve the target as Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) and its appointed dealers had failed to supply them adequate seeds.
Farmers said that usually they store seeds every season but they failed to store seeds this year due to floods and other natural calamities and are now depending on BADC's seeds due to its high quality and reasonable price.
Local agricultural officials, however, denied the seed crisis and said that farmers had stocked sufficient quantity of seeds despite natural calamities but they were depending on BADC's seeds due to its high quality and reasonable price.
Assistant Director of local BADC Hasan Toufiqur Rahman said BADC received 75 tonnes of seeds for boro cultivation in the district and of the total 14 tonnes had been sanctioned for its sale centre and the rest of the seeds to its 16 dealers. He also said the sale centre sold out the seeds during the last part of October and dealers had almost finished their quota.
He further said, as the farmers gather at the door of BADC for seeds every day they have urged the higher authorities to sanction more seven tonnes of boro seeds to meet the increasing demand.
According to Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), farmers have set a target to cultivate Boro on 44,940 hectares of land while wheat on 15,000 hectares in the district during the current season. To achieve the target, they will need 990 tonnes of boro seeds and 1,800 tonnes of wheat seeds.
While contacted farmers said that they would start preparing boro seedbeds and wheat cultivation in the middle of the current month. But they are apprehending that they might not achieve the target as Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) and its appointed dealers had failed to supply them adequate seeds.
Farmers said that usually they store seeds every season but they failed to store seeds this year due to floods and other natural calamities and are now depending on BADC's seeds due to its high quality and reasonable price.
Local agricultural officials, however, denied the seed crisis and said that farmers had stocked sufficient quantity of seeds despite natural calamities but they were depending on BADC's seeds due to its high quality and reasonable price.
Assistant Director of local BADC Hasan Toufiqur Rahman said BADC received 75 tonnes of seeds for boro cultivation in the district and of the total 14 tonnes had been sanctioned for its sale centre and the rest of the seeds to its 16 dealers. He also said the sale centre sold out the seeds during the last part of October and dealers had almost finished their quota.
He further said, as the farmers gather at the door of BADC for seeds every day they have urged the higher authorities to sanction more seven tonnes of boro seeds to meet the increasing demand.