JHENIDAH, Oct 30: A total of 12 acres of land of Sadhuhati Foundation Seed Production Farm of BADC at Dakbangla Bazar under Sadar upazila in the district is lying waterlogged, causing heavy losses to seed production.
People are continuing digging ponds in large numbers in Sadhuhati union defying agricultural laws that forbid digging ponds on paddy-cultivable land.
Diggings ponds have closed the ways to water draining.
A section of people of Sadhuhati union have been damaging tillable land in the name of digging ponds. They are selling soil to the brickfields, sources said.
Besides, many of those who are continuing digging ponds in the middle of fields have no land of their own. They are doing this taking land on lease.
In the fields of Taltala, Potahati, Magurapara, Nathkundu villages and the lower field near Sadhuhati hospital, under Sadhuhati union, numerous ponds have been dug.
Assistant Commissioner of Jhenidah Sadar visited the area as complaint was made.
Back in 1954, Sadhuhati foundation seed production farm was established on 106 acres of land with a view to producing quality serial seeds.
This farm has now got 75 acres to use for seed production, the rest portion being used for infrastructures.
However, 12 acres of the farm have been lying as fellow land, making substantial loss to farm authority every year.
Due to clay soil with high capacity to hold water and favourable weather condition, the farm has always been suitable to produce quality rice seeds with high yield.
In Aus season, seeds of BR-26 and BIRRI Dhan-48 are produced here.
In the upcoming Aman season BRRI Dhan 28, 29 and 63 and China (SL-8H) varieties seeds will be produced in the farm.
In the current Aman season BRRI Dhan 34, 49, 52, 62 and 72 varieties have covered 58 acres, to be harvested after 15 days.
The standing rice seed plants growing up in congenial weather on the farmland promise high quality and satisfactory yield.
In FY 2017-18, the farm produced a total of 198 tons of quality rice seeds, according to official data.
Deputy Director of the farm agriculturist Md Mujibur Rahman Khan told the FE, "12 acres of the farm are left unused because of water stagnation, hampering production of seed."
DD also said, "The farm lacks in boundary walls. Cattle from nearby villages eat up standing crop while unscrupulous men intrude the farm area cutting away crops."
"We have sent a proposal to the authority concerned for erecting a boundary wall," he added.
Deputy Commissioner of Jhenidah Saraj Kumar Nath said, "Seed production is vitally important for food security. We cannot give any space to whoever is responsible for this condition in the area. We'll do what we need to in this regard."
