BOGURA Jan 16: Getting repeated abundant output in the previous years, Boro rice farming is gaining momentum in Bogura district in the last few years.
During November to May the basin of Nagor River remains dry and the marginal farmers who own no land, cultivate the crop free of cost. They can grow high yield Boro rice without any irrigation, using fertliser and spraying pesticides at all.
With the assistance of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) hundreds of poor farmers of Dupchanchia, Kahaloo, Nandigram and Shibganj upazilas are expecting to produce over 400 tonnes of fresh Boro rice this season.
On the other hand, the government is also distributing Boro rice seed, Di-ammonium Phosphate (DAP) and Potash (MoP) fertilisers among the hard up farmers who cultivate the rice on flat land of the agricultural area as incentives.
To make the farming a grand success, DAE and other organisations concerned have already taken elaborate initiatives so that the farming does not fail to achieve target this season.
During a recent visit to Bolodmara area under Kahaloo upazila this correspondent found extreme poor farmers of the region passing busy time growing the crops in the river basin without tilling and providing fertiliser.
"I have cultivated Boro rice on around 34 decimal of land this season aiming to achieve over 40 maunds of output," said farmer Sekendar Hossain under Kahaloo upazila. "I got over 23 maunds of crop from some 22 decimals of land last year." he added.
Farmers urged to the authority concerned to take initiative to boost the production of Boro rice in the river basin as it inevitably renders good output.
Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) should expand their helping hands to the enterprise, they added.
Our correspondent from Sylhet adds: Farmers in different areas in the four districts of Sylhet division have got engaged in Boro paddy cultivation in Sylhet region.
A total of 3,08,731 hectares of land had so far been brought under its farming in the division, officials and farmers informed on Tuesday.
The cultivated area includes 240,747 hectares in the "haor" region while the rest 67,984 hectares are in non-haor region.
DAE's Additional Director, also its Sylhet divisional chief Md. Altabur Rahman told this correspondent, the weather is good for the crop till date.
The common farmers are passing busy time in their fields, mainly in the lower region like Sunamganj and Habiganj. However, many farmers on other areas would continue that till the last days of the season in February.
The Boro farming would be increased this season in the four districts, the official said. Seedbeds were done on a total of 26,100 hectares against the target of 21,945 hectares.
The cultivated area includes 73,291 hectares of hybrid, 228,461 hectares of high yielding varieties and 6979 hectares of local varieties, the official said.
The DAE had earlier set the farming target on 4,68,557 hectares in the region, including 79,709 hectares in Sylhet, 53,116 hectares in Moulvibazar, 1,18,197 hectares in Habiganj and highest 2,17,535 hectares in the district of Sunamganj.
Farmer Ataur Rahman of village Rashidpur under Biswanath upazila of Sylhet said we have collected seedlings and readied land for the crop and hopefully these would be transplanted this week.
However, it would be delayed on many areas, as a good number of the farmers had just completed Aman harvest, the officials said.
Many farmers informed people in many areas of Sunamganj, Moulvibazar and Habiganj are busy for readying Boro paddy land while some were delaying the job due to late recession of waters from croplands on lower region.
Weeks ago the government, through DAE, distributed assistance for a total of 9,200 selected poor farmers this season in the division with a total expenditure of Tk 92,23,000. The inputs include seed, fertiliser and other expenses.
However, farmers on many areas are in great worry as they are not able to cultivate the crop this season due to accumulation of silts in many haors in the Sunamganj and Habiganj districts and shortage of water for lands.
They said they eed water for those lands for the main crop of the winter season. On some areas there has been shortage of labourers.