Farmers are seen lifting seedlings from the seedbed to transplant them onto the wetland. Photo: BSS

GAIBANDHA, Feb 1, 2025 (BSS) - Farming of Boro paddy is progressing fast in all the seven upazilas of the district during the current season amid much enthusiasm among the farmers.
 
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has set a target to bring a total of 1, 29,200 hectares of land under the Boro cultivation this year with the production target of 5,35,000 metric tons of clean rice.

To bring the land under the cultivation programme, the farmers have prepared seed beds on 6,245 hectares of low land where the seedlings have grown well. 

Though the green seedlings were being affected due to cold wave with dense fog sweeping across the northern region including Gaibandha district, the department took precautionary measures to protect the seedlings from cold weather through motivating the farmers. 

To help the farmers cultivate the Boro paddy without economic troubles, different schedule banks including Rajshahi KrishiUnnayan Bank has taken up plans to disburse agri loans to the growers on easy term during the season, said an official of the bank. 

To make the cultivation a grand success, necessary measures had been taken to supply fertilizers, insecticides, and other agri inputs to the farmers at fair prices side by side with ensuring power supply facility by Northern Electric Supply Company and Rural Electrification Board, said an official of DAE. 

Bangladesh Barind Development Authority has also made their 460 electricity run deep tube wells and 45 low lift pumps fully operative for supplying irrigation water to the farmers at reasonable prices during the current Boro season, said executive engineer Azadul Islam. 

Talking to the national news agency, deputy director (DD) of DAE here Krishibid Md. Belal Uddin said the farmers were advised to transplant the raised seedlings of the boro paddy on their respective land as per the suggestions of the field level sub assistant agriculture officers. 

The DD said around 50 percent farming has already been completed till January 27 and the farming would continue till March 15.