Photo : BSS

By Md Mamun Islam

 RANGPUR, Mar 17, 2025 (BSS) - Enthusiastic farmers are expecting a bumper Boro rice yield after exceeding the fixed farming target in the Rangpur agricultural region during the current Rabi season.

Farmers' officials and experts of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said tender Boro rice plants are growing fabulously creating a sight-beholding greener scene in vast tracts of crop fields amid favorable climatic conditions.

 Getting essential assistance from the interim government to make the intensive Boro rice farming program a success, farmers have brought more land under its farming exceeding the fixed farming target despite crop diversification in the region.

 "Farmers are extremely busy taking care of their excellently growing tender Boro rice plants in all five districts of the region," Deputy Director of the DAE's Rangpur region Agriculturist Md. Afzal Hossain told BSS today. 

 Previously, the DAE had set a record target of producing 22,94,195 tonnes of clean Boro rice (34,41,292 tonnes of paddy) from 5,08,978 hectares of land for Rangpur agricultural region during the current Rabi season. 

 "Farmers have finally brought 5,09,056 hectares of land under Boro rice framing exceeding the fixed farming target by 78 hectares of land or 0.02 percent," Agriculturist Md. Afzal Hossain said.
 
The DAE and other agriculture-related organisations and institutions are working relentlessly to ensure smooth irrigation, supply of fuels, fertilisers and electricity and other facilities to farmers to make the Boro rice farming programme a success.

 To save irrigation water and enhance the production of more hygienic Boro rice at lower costs reducing the lifting of underground water, special programmes have been taken and modern technologies have been disseminated among farmers this season in the region.

 Under the special programmes, a target has been fixed to bring 1,01,811 hectares of Boro rice croplands under the Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) irrigation method. 

 Besides, targets have been fixed to bring 50,906 hectares of land under the use of compost fertilisers, 3,05,434 hectares under use of balanced fertilisers, 5,09,056 hectares under the perching and 10,240 hectares under the light trap methods of pests management.

Around 11.80 percent of the tender Boro rice plants are now in recovery, 83.71 percent in the tillering and 4.50 percent in the panicle initiation stages, and are growing superbly in crop fields predicting a bumper yield of the crop.
 
"If the climatic conditions remain favorable during the next couple of months, farmers will get a super bumper production of Boro rice as tender rice plants are currently growing wonderfully across the region," Agriculturist Afzal Hossain added. 

 Talking to BSS, farmer Ariful Haque Batul of village Najirdigar in Rangpur Sadar said he has put maximum efforts to take care of their growing Boro rice plants in some six acres of crop fields to get bumper production this season.
 
Farmer Mofizar Rahman of village Dolapara in Taraganj upazila in Rangpur thanked the interim government for ensuring a smooth supply of fertilisers, pesticides, diesel, power and other facilities to farmers to make the Boro rice farming programme successful.