RANGPUR, Dec 25, 2022 (BSS) – Farmers have begun transplantation of Boro rice seedlings in Rangpur agriculture region this season aiming to enchaining rice output for ensuring food security amid global crises caused by the Russia-Ukraine War. 
 
Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said farmers have so far prepared Boro rice seedbeds on 22,500 hectares of land against the fixed target of preparing the same on 23,176 hectares of land.
 
“Transplantation of Boro rice seedlings continues in low-lying and riverine char areas as the process will get full momentum from mid-January next on the mainland,” said Additional Director of the DAE’s Rangpur region Agriculturist Mohammad Shah Alam. 
  
The DAE has fixed a target of producing 22,30,219 tonnes of clean Boro rice (33,45,329 tonnes of paddy) from 5,07,075 hectares of land for all five districts in the region during the current Rabi season.
 
Farmers will produce 10,73,085 tonnes of hybrid variety Boro rice from 2,19,900 hectares of land, 11,54,663 tonnes of high yielding variety rice from 2,85,800 hectares and 2,471 tonnes of local variety Boro rice from 1,350 hectares of land. 
 
“Farmers have so far transplanted Boro rice seedlings on 500 hectares of land in the region till Saturday,” he said.
 
The DAE and other agriculture-related departments and different organizations have taken adequate preparations to ensure smooth delivery of seed, fertilizer, electricity and technologies to farmers to make the intensive Boro rice farming program a success.
 
“We have also taken steps to popularize large-scale adoption of conservation agriculture technologies like Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) irrigation method in farming Boro rice to save water and increase rice output at reduced costs,” Alam said. 
 
He suggested farmers to irrigate Boro rice seedbeds at nights and discharge the water in the mornings and keep their seedbeds under cover of polythene sheets to save the tender seedlings from damage if the sweeping cold wave situation deteriorates.
 
“As the process of preparing seedbeds is nearing completion, most farmers are preparing their crop lands to transplant Boro rice seedlings soon” Alam added.
 
Talking to BSS, farmer Ariful Haque of village Najirdigar in Rangpur said he has completed preparing Boro rice seedbeds to begin transplantation of the seedlings on his five acres of land after three weeks to complete the process by early February next.
 
“As per suggestion of field level agriculture officers, I am currently taking special care of growing tender plants of Boro rice seedlings so that those were not affected by the mild cold wave currently sweeping over the Rangpur region,” he said.
  
Deputy Director (Leave Reserved) of the DAE at Khamarbari in Dhaka Abu Sayem suggested farmers complete transplantation of Boro rice seedlings within February 15 next to get the maximum yield rate.
 
"Farmers will face no hurdles as authorities concerned have taken ample steps to ensure a smooth supply of fuel, power and fertiliser as part of the government’s comprehensive steps to make the Boro rice farming program a success," Sayem added.