Water, power, fertiliser crises bruise Boro farming in Brahmanbaria
Our Correspondent | Sunday, 15 March 2009
BRAHMANBARIA, Mar 14: Boro paddy cultivation is being seriously hampered in the district due to fall in the ground-water level, drying up of major rivers, erratic power supply and scarcity of fertiliser.
The farmers in most of the areas in the district now find it extremely difficult to lift ground water through pumps for irrigation as its level has gone significantly down.
Regular load-shedding is another impediment to the operation of shallow and deep tube-wells. Users of shallow and deep tube-wells in the region said the coils of the electric motors are often getting burnt due to low voltage.
The Boro cultivators have been unable to use surface water for the last several years as four rivers and their tributaries dry up during the dry season. About 40,00,000 acres of land in the district are left fallow due to lack of water.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources said a scheme has been taken up to bring 1,04,290 hectares of land under Boro cultivation in the district in the current season.
Farmers in the district have been facing acute fertiliser crisis as the dealers get inadequate quantity of fertiliser and cannot provide sufficient to the farmers.
Bangladesh Fertiliser Association (BFA) Brahmanbaria unit President Md Ruhul Amin Bhuiyan Bakul said Ashuganj Zia Fertiliser Factory has failed to supply their quota.
The farmers in most of the areas in the district now find it extremely difficult to lift ground water through pumps for irrigation as its level has gone significantly down.
Regular load-shedding is another impediment to the operation of shallow and deep tube-wells. Users of shallow and deep tube-wells in the region said the coils of the electric motors are often getting burnt due to low voltage.
The Boro cultivators have been unable to use surface water for the last several years as four rivers and their tributaries dry up during the dry season. About 40,00,000 acres of land in the district are left fallow due to lack of water.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources said a scheme has been taken up to bring 1,04,290 hectares of land under Boro cultivation in the district in the current season.
Farmers in the district have been facing acute fertiliser crisis as the dealers get inadequate quantity of fertiliser and cannot provide sufficient to the farmers.
Bangladesh Fertiliser Association (BFA) Brahmanbaria unit President Md Ruhul Amin Bhuiyan Bakul said Ashuganj Zia Fertiliser Factory has failed to supply their quota.