Farmers have harvested over 50% of their Boro paddy in Rajshahi division including the vast barind tract, plain lands and lowlands of the region, creating high hopes of ensuring food security amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources, farmers have harvested 50% of Boro paddy in the plain lands and over 85% in lowlands of Rajshahi, Naogaon, Chapainawabganj and Natore.
DAE Additional Director Sudhendra Nath Roy said the farmers are delighted for being able to harvest their paddy amid satisfactory yield everywhere in the region.
He said that suitable weather has made it possible for farmers to get good yields of Boro paddy, adding that various effective measures including the use of latest technologies, proper fertilization, agronomical managements, and smooth supply of fertilizers and electricity for irrigation have also contributed in a good yield this season.
Meanwhile, the DAE has set a target of producing around 34.30 lakh tons of Irri-Boro rice from 8.08 lakh hectares in all eight districts under the division during the current season, reports BSS.
Target has been set to produce 31.57 lakh tons of high yielding varieties of rice from 7.51 lakh hectares, 2.65 lakh tons of hybrid varieties of rice from 52,910 hectares and 7,729 tons of local varieties of rice from 3,840 hectares of land.
Farmers of the division were provided 317 Combine Harvester machines and 183 Reaper machines this year to easily harvest paddy in due time.
A combine harvester can harvest, thresh, clean and pack rice on a three-bigha land in only an hour.
Kamal Uddin Talukder, additional director of DAE, Bogra, said there was no shortage of farm labourers in the region. In addition to the farm labourers, hundreds of unemployed construction workers, brick kiln workers, rickshaw van pullers, who were staying idle in their houses during the pandemic situation, were employed in harvesting paddy.
The combine harvester machines and the reaper machines are also being used properly to reap the paddy home as soon as possible.
Nur Muhammad, a farmer of Gollapara village under Tanore upazila, has attained significant success after cultivating Brridhan-86 that yielded 29 mounds from per bigha of land on an average.
He also said there is a spectacular yield of paddy in the fields, adding he did not witness such an excellent yield of paddy in the field during his lifetime.
Another farmer Erfan Ali of Jahidnagar village under Gomastapur Upazila in Chapainawabganj district said he has attained 30 maunds from per bigha of the land after cultivating Brridhan-81 on two acres of land. He terms the yield being beyond expectation.
Ali hoped for a bumper production of paddy unless there is any natural disaster during the reaping season.
Abul Hossain of Pirijpur village under Godagari said he has cultivated Boro paddy on a 10-bigha land and hopes to reap paddy within next one week.
Like him, many other farmers of the upazila were highly hopeful of a bumper paddy production this season. Hossain expects a good profit by selling paddy if the market price of paddy is satisfactory.
