The farmers have exceeded the fixed farming target of Boro rice this season by 2.48 percent and engaged maximum efforts now in taking care of the growing tender rice plants in Rangpur agriculture region.
The farmers completed transplantation of Boro rice seedling last week on their croplands in all five districts of Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat in the region.
Officials of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said they are expecting a bumper production of Boro rice following excellent growth of the tender rice plants amid favourable climatic conditions.
The DAE has fixed a target of producing 20.88-lakh tonnes of clean Boro rice (31.32-lakh tonnes of paddy) from 4.97-lakh hectares of land in the region this season.
“However, the farmers have cultivated Boro rice on 5.09-lakh hectares of land, higher by 12,319 hectares or 2.48 percent than the fixed farming target this season,” Horticulture Specialist of the DAE Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam told BSS today.
To make the intensive Boro rice farming programme successful, the DAE and other departments concerned have taken adequate steps to ensure smooth irrigation, supply of fuels, fertilisers and electricity and other facilities to the farmers.
“Meanwhile, 2.37-lakh irrigation pumps, including 2,810 deep tube-wells, over 2.33-lakh shallow tube-wells, 570 low-lift pumps and 512 other pumps have been put into operation for irrigating Boro rice fields in the region,”
Islam added.
Talking to BSS, farmer Ariful Haque Batul of village Najirdigar in Sadar upazila here said he has cultivated Boro rice on his 3.50 acres of land this time using own electricity-run irrigation pump with technical assistance of the DAE.
Ariful is expecting to spend Taka 3,000 per acre of his sandy land for cultivating Boro rice using one electricity-run irrigation pump while other nearby farmers generally spend up to Taka 10,000 per acre there using own diesel-run shallow tube wells.
“The Rural Electrification Board supplies electricity to my irrigation pump at Taka 3.82 per unit with 20 percent subsidy on total bills,” he said, adding that his tender Boro rice plants are growing excellent now predicting bumper output this season.
Farmer Abul Hossain of village Tahirpur in Mithapukur upazila said he has cultivated Boro rice on his one acre of sandy-loamy land using irrigation water being supplied from a deep tube well of Barind Multipurpose Development Authority.
“I have to spend only Taka 2,100 per acre of land for cultivation of Boro rice using irrigation water of the electricity-run deep tube well,” he said and thanked the DAE and government for extending necessary assistance to cultivate Boro rice successfully.
Talking to BSS, Deputy Director of the DAE at its regional office Md. Moniruzzaman said the agri-scientists, officials and experts are providing latest technologies to the farmers for making the Boro rice farming programme successful in the region.
“The comprehensive steps taken by the government has ensured smooth irrigation, supply of fuels, fertilisers and electricity to the farmers to achieve the Boro rice production target this season,” he said.
“The vast tracts of Boro rice crop fields have worn greenish look now as tender rice plants are growing superbly predicting a bumper production of the crop this season in Rangpur agriculture region,” Moniruzzaman added.
(BSS)
