RAJSHAHI, Feb 6, 2022 (BSS) - Transplantation of Boro paddy has gained momentum

everywhere in the division, including its vast Barind tract, braving the dense fog

and biting cold with the hope of getting cherished yield.

Agricultural officials and farmers are very much hopeful about exceeding the

farming target of boro paddy this season as the farmers’ are delighted with the

selling price of transplanted aman paddy at present.

Nurul Amin Siddiqui, President of Kornohar Borobilla Water Management Association

in Paba Upazila, said the farmers of his area are passing busy days with

transplanting of boro seedlings and land preparation works. Personally, he will

cultivate boro paddy on five bighas of land this year.

He added that the price of both aman paddy and rice has increased for the last

couple of weeks as a result of government-level aman rice procurement drive

inspiring the farmers to transplant paddy seedlings.

Besides, seedling transplantation activity has generated employment for many

marginalized people.

Meanwhile, 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 Agricultural 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.

Khayer Uddin Mollah, 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 it with polythene at 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.

He said the farmers are expected to complete the paddy transplantation after

harvesting mustard and potato by the end of this month.

Abu Rahman, a farmer of Gubirpara village under Tanore Upazila, has been preparing

for boro cultivation on 20 bigha of land for the last couple of weeks. With

removing stagnant water, he has started transplanting seedling on nine bigha of

land in Bilkumary Beel.

“I have got a better price of the latest Aman paddy. So, I have started boro

transplantation early,” said Rahman, adding the day labourers are charging higher

wages due to the present cold weather.

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 has started transplantation of seedlings.

He has adopted some preventive measures to protect the seedbeds from any cold

related diseases.
 
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 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.
 
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.