RANGPUR, Apr 27: A good yield of Boro paddy is likely to be achieved across five districts under Rangpur agriculture region during the current season due to congenial weather condition and timely supply of agri-inputs.
While visiting some areas this FE correspondent saw that Boro plants under the region growing excellently, signaling a good yield of it this year.
According to Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Rangpur official sources farmers cultivated Boro on around 5,09,000 hectares of land this season in five districts in the zone. The districts are Rangpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat.
Shahjahan Ali, a farmer of Santospur village at Balua Mashimpur union of Mithapukur upazila in Rangpur district told The Financial Express that he has cultivated BR-28 variety of Boro paddy on one acre of land this season. Plants are growing well due to timely supply of necessary agri-inputs.
He also cultivated hybrid variety of Boro paddy Hira on two and half acre of land this season. He is optimistic about achieving a good yield of the crop, if the weather remains congenial, he also said.
They have to spend additional money for buying pesticides and medicine to protect their lands from pest or disease attack, Shahjahan said. He alleged that they do not get adequate assistances including necessary advices from the DAE field level officers as they never visit their areas.
Ahidul, another farmer of village Khansama at Kawnia upazila in Rangpur said he cultivated the crop on one and half acre of land this year and is expecting a bumper production of the crop, if the weather remains conducive. Last year he got good yield of the crop, he added.
Sources said like in the mainland, the landless and river eroded char people have also brought more char lands under paddy farming this year.
DAE sources said sufficient water supply, agri-inputs and congenial weather condition enhanced paddy cultivation in the region this year, making the farmers hopeful of a good output of the crop. Growers are given necessary advices and assistances in order to boost up the production of the crop this year, sources added.
Our correspondent from Naogaon adds: Farmers in Manda upazila are worried as Boro paddy on around 14 hectares of land have been affected by blast disease.
A good number of growers said the antidotes advised by the agriculture officials did not work.
They said Moinom, Koishob, Gotagari, Enaetpur, Pashchim Nurullabad, Valain and Boiddopur are the most affected areas in the upazila.
The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) sources said around 21,900 hectares of land have been brought under Boro cultivation in the upazila.
Many affected farmers said blast disease struck more than 100 bighas of land and was spreading fast, but they can only watch helplessly as no remedy is working.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Golam Faruk Hossain said the disease has been caused due to abnormal weather that prevailed from mid March to mid April this year as it remains foggy in the morning with cloudy sky.
Some growers, however, alleged the pesticides suggested by the agriculture officials were ineffective as they were proved to be adulterated.
One Abdul Matin of Pashchim Nurullabad village under the upazila informed he transplanted Boro paddy on two bighas of land in the middle of February, but a few days ago he found that the paddy plants in a section of the fields had turned reddish. He said the plants dried up like straw in two or three days.
Aslam Hossain, another farmer of the upazila, said he cultivated Boro paddy on 3.3 acres of land this season with much expectation.
"My hope went in vain as one-fourth of my cropland has been affected by the catastrophic disease," he added.
Additional deputy director of Naogaon DAE Mahbubur Rahman stated the field level deputy assistant agriculture officers have continued their efforts to control the situation through different events including arranging farmers' gathering, training programmes and distributing leaflets.
The DAE is working relentlessly to decrease the severity of the blast attack in the upazila, Mr Rahman added.