RAJSHAHI, Dec 26, 2021 (BSS) - Around 35.52 lakh tonnes of Irri-Boro rice
are expected to be produced from 8.12 lakh hectares of land in all districts
of the division during the current season, officials said.

   Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has set the target of producing
15.99 lakh tonnes of rice from 3.60 lakh hectares of land in four districts
of Rajshahi Agricultural Zone, while 19.52 lakh tonnes from 4.53 lakh
hectares in four other districts of Bogura Agricultural Zone.

   Meanwhile, the farmers are passing their times by nursing and caring for
the seedbeds of the paddy, braving the winter chill and fog at present.

   Sirajul Islam, Additional Director of DAE, said all the district, upazila
and field level officials and others concerned are giving suggestions to the
farmers to protect their seedbeds from cold covering their seedbeds with
polythene in night.

   He said they are adopting all possible measures to ensure food security
through attaining the rice production target everywhere in the region
including its vast barind tract to ensure food security.

   Abul Kashem, a farmer of Mayamari village under Niamatpur upazila, said he
has prepared seedbeds on 25 decimals of land for cultivating paddy on 18
bigha of land this season.

   He is now very much hopeful of starting the transplantation of seedlings
within the next one month.

   Kashem has adopted some preventive measures to protect the seedbeds from
any cold related diseases.

   Mahbubur Rahman, another farmer of Chanpara village, said he is anxious
over the sweeping cold weather.

   He along with many of his fellow farmers is passing busy days to protect
the seedbeds from cold injuries.

   Upazila Agriculture Officer Shafiqul Islam said prolonged cold coupled
with dense fog is injurious to the seed health.

   The adverse climate condition is also a little-bit detrimental to the
seedbeds, but there is no apprehension of any major damage to it, he said.

   Regional office of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) has taken
diversified steps including farmers training, projection plot and supplying
of the newly developed high yielding varieties among the growers to make the
Irri-Boro farming a total success.

   BRRI has developed 14 Boro varieties of paddy which are appropriate for
Rajshahi region including its vast Barind tract, said Dr Fazlul Islam,
Principal Scientific Officer of BRRI.

   The varieties are Brridhan28, 29, 50, 58, 63, 69, 81, 84, 86, 88, 89, 92,
Brri hybrid dhan3 and Brri hybrid dhan5.

   Of those, Brridhan50 is export-oriented premium quality rice, Brridhan58
is comparatively high yielding and Brridhan84 is iron and zinc-enriched.

   Dr Islam said the field level agriculture officials, researchers and
scientists are reaching the developed varieties to the farmers' doorsteps so
that they can boost the Boro paddy yield after the best uses of the
varieties.

   The conventional varieties are being replaced by modern varieties which
are good signs for the region in terms of boosting yield, he said.

   He said there is no way but to enhance rice production through facing the
existing challenges of adverse impact of climate change with gradually
declining resources and agriculture manpower.