Rangpur: The set Boro rice cultivation target has exceeded in the Rangpur agricultural region, where farmers are expecting a bumper harvest of the staple food grain in the current Rabi season.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) officials reported that amid favorable weather conditions and frequent rainfall in recent days, growing tender Boro rice plants are creating a picturesque green scene in the vast crop fields.
To make the intensive Boro paddy cultivation programme successful, farmers have brought more land under cultivation exceeding the fixed farming target for the region this season. “Currently, enthusiastic farmers are very busy taking care of their excellently growing tender Boro rice plants in all five districts of the region,” Deputy Director of the DAE’s Rangpur region Krishibid Md Shirajul Islam told BSS.
Earlier, the DAE set an all-time record target of producing 23,08,715 tonnes of clean Boro rice (34,63,0672 tonnes of paddy) from 5,09,094 hectares of land for Rangpur agricultural region this season. Of them, farmers will produce 11,13,909 tonnes of hybrid variety Boro rice from 2,30,316 hectares of land, 11,75,867 tonnes of high yielding variety rice from 2,77,753 hectares, and 1,939 tonnes of local variety Boro rice from 1,025 hectares of land.
Enthusiastic farmers have already transplanted Boro rice seedlings on 5,09,195 hectares of land or 100.02 percent against the fixed farming target in all five districts of Rangpur, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, and Nilphamari in the region. The DAE and other agriculture-related organisations and institutions are working tirelessly to ensure smooth irrigation, uninterrupted supply of fuel, fertilizer, electricity, and other facilities to farmers to make the Boro rice cultivation programme successful.
To conserve irrigation water and increase the production of healthier Boro rice at a lower cost, special programmes have been taken to reduce groundwater extraction, and modern technology has been promoted among the farmers of the region this season. Under the special programmes, a target has been fixed to bring 1,01,839 hectares of Boro rice croplands under the Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) irrigation method. Besides, targets have been set to bring 50,920 hectares of land under use of compost fertilisers, 3,05,517 hectares under use of balanced fertilisers, 5,09,195 hectares under the perching, and 10,220 hectares under the light trap methods of pests management.
“Farmers have already brought 3,69,140 hectares of land under use of compost fertilisers, 3,87,485 hectares under use of balanced fertilisers, 3,54,250 hectares under the perching, and 561 hectares under the light trap methods of pests management,” Shirajul Islam said. About 9.36 percent tender Boro rice seedlings are now under recovery, 85.80 percent in tillering, and 4.84 percent in panicle initiation stage, growing beautifully in the crop fields, which predicts a bumper crop yield.
Sirajul Islam said, “If the weather is favorable in the next few months, farmers will get a super bumper harvest of Boro rice because tender rice plants are currently growing wonderfully in this region.” Talking to BSS, Manik Mia of Darshona village in Rangpur Sadar said that to get a bumper harvest of Boro rice this season, he has adopted the latest technology to ensure proper agricultural management of his growing rice plants on about seven acres of cropland. Similarly, farmer Isahaque Ali of Kathihara village in Rangpur Sadar thanked the government for ensuring smooth supply of fertilizers, pesticides, diesel, electricity, and other facilities to farmers to make the Boro rice farming programme successful.