Pabna Boro farmers apprehensive despite good production
Monday, 9 May 2011
Our Correspondent
PABNA, May 8: Farmers in Pabna have started harvesting Boro paddy with hope for a good output, but the joy of reaping may remain an elusive one, especially for the marginal farmers and sharecroppers, as paying off loans, irrigation charges and landowners' share will upset the profit to a great extent. Last moment's rainfall and improvement in electricity supply for the irrigation machines helped the good yield on most lands, said Zaman Azam, deputy director of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Pabna. "Boro cultivation on some 2,000 hectares of land on Padma riverbed came as a solace against the fact that the district's cultivation target on some 3,661 hectares of lands could not be achieved over irrigation difficulties. However, earlier problem in irrigation due to frequent load-shedding in some Barind areas is likely to affect the total output by five to ten per cent," he said. During a recent visit to Boro fields on the dried up Padma riverbed near Ishwardi, this correspondent saw a vast swathe of the riverbed green with standing boro crops while farmers at a few lands were reaping paddy. In absence of electricity, diesel-run irrigation pumps were used to ensure last moment's water at many fields. 'Hafizur Rahman, Enayeet Uddin and I cultivated Boro on 12 bighas of land that we took on lease. We expect 22 maunds of paddy per bigha and the yield is seemingly satisfactory. But I am in doubt about profit although the total output would be 240 maunds. Ninety-six maunds or its value is going to be spent to pay the landowner, irrigation machine provider and farm labourers. We the three partners will share the rest 144 maunds, having 48 maunds for each,' said Ershadullah, a farmer. Over a dozen farm labourers were seen gathering paddy sheafs at Ershadulla's field. Hafuzul and Enayeet were also working with him. "I have a family of 11 members and we need 50 to 52 maunds of paddy a year for our own consumption. If I sell part of my share, we will have to starve for some months before the next harvest," said Hafizul.
PABNA, May 8: Farmers in Pabna have started harvesting Boro paddy with hope for a good output, but the joy of reaping may remain an elusive one, especially for the marginal farmers and sharecroppers, as paying off loans, irrigation charges and landowners' share will upset the profit to a great extent. Last moment's rainfall and improvement in electricity supply for the irrigation machines helped the good yield on most lands, said Zaman Azam, deputy director of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Pabna. "Boro cultivation on some 2,000 hectares of land on Padma riverbed came as a solace against the fact that the district's cultivation target on some 3,661 hectares of lands could not be achieved over irrigation difficulties. However, earlier problem in irrigation due to frequent load-shedding in some Barind areas is likely to affect the total output by five to ten per cent," he said. During a recent visit to Boro fields on the dried up Padma riverbed near Ishwardi, this correspondent saw a vast swathe of the riverbed green with standing boro crops while farmers at a few lands were reaping paddy. In absence of electricity, diesel-run irrigation pumps were used to ensure last moment's water at many fields. 'Hafizur Rahman, Enayeet Uddin and I cultivated Boro on 12 bighas of land that we took on lease. We expect 22 maunds of paddy per bigha and the yield is seemingly satisfactory. But I am in doubt about profit although the total output would be 240 maunds. Ninety-six maunds or its value is going to be spent to pay the landowner, irrigation machine provider and farm labourers. We the three partners will share the rest 144 maunds, having 48 maunds for each,' said Ershadullah, a farmer. Over a dozen farm labourers were seen gathering paddy sheafs at Ershadulla's field. Hafuzul and Enayeet were also working with him. "I have a family of 11 members and we need 50 to 52 maunds of paddy a year for our own consumption. If I sell part of my share, we will have to starve for some months before the next harvest," said Hafizul.