RAJSHAHI, April 25, 2023 (BSS) - Farmers have started harvesting Boro paddy
at present with festivity by dint of satisfactory yield in the region,
including its vast Barind tract.

Now, most of the farming fields have taken an eye-catching look as early
varieties of paddy are now in ripening stages.

The mind-blowing yield has created a high hope of supplementing the
government efforts of ensuring food security.

At this initial stage, farmers are seen harvesting some high yielding and
short duration varieties like BR-28 and local jira varieties. The other
varieties will be harvested within the next two to three weeks.

Abdul Matin, a farmer of Choitannapur village under Godagari upazila, has
harvested 22 mounds of yield of BR-28 from each bigha of land, while last
year's yield was 19 mounds.

He has cultivated Boro paddy on 12 bighas of land this season saying all of
his farming conditions are very much optimistic.
 
Golam Mostofa, 56, another farmer of Kacharipara village, who have brought 15
bighas of land under the paddy farming this season. He has harvested a few
parts of the paddy attaining 23 mounds of yield of jira variety from per
bigha of land.

Sub Assistant Agriculture Officer Atanu Sarker said the farmers are now
delighted over their achieved yield.

Meanwhile, Boro farming has exceeded the target by 8,151 hectares of land in
Rajshahi division this season.
 
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) had set the target of producing
34.62 lakh tonnes of rice from 8.18 lakh hectares of land in all eight
districts of the division during the current season.
 
But, fortunately, the enthusiastic farmers have brought 8.26 lakh hectares of
land generating scopes of additional rice production, Shamsul Wadud,
Additional Director of DAE, said.
 
Around 7.31 lakh small and marginal farmers were given support of high
yielding seed and fertilizer free of cost under the government's agricultural
incentive programme in the division.
 
Of those, 4.30 lakh farmers were brought under the support of high yielding
seeds, while 2.51 lakh others under seed and fertilizers for cultivating boro
paddy on one bigha each.

Jakir Hossain, 54, a farmer of Hatibandha village under Godagari upazila, has
cultivated paddy on 20 bighas of land this season whereas the previous
season's acreage was 15 bighas.

Good yield and enhanced selling prices of both paddy and straw have
encouraged him to cultivate the paddy on more lands.

"I have sold only straw worth around Taka 75,000 in addition to the paddy
last season," Hossain said, adding that many of his co-villagers have
attained success in paddy farming.

Currently, businessmen and wholesalers purchase paddy and straw from the
farmers' field directly as the grassroots growers are being benefited in many
ways, said Hossain.

He added that the price of both paddy and rice during the previous Boro, Aush
and Aman were seen to increase as a result of government-level rice
procurement drives inspiring the farmers to cultivate Boro paddy on more
lands.

Sarker also said the farmers can harvest some of the advanced varieties
including BR-28 within the next five to six days.

"I've got a better price of the latest Aman paddy. So, I have cultivated Boro
paddy on 10 bighas of land," said Abu Rahman, a farmer of Gubirpara village
under Tanore upazila, adding that the farmers are happy over the paddy
cultivation.

Abul Kashem, a farmer of Mayamari village under Niamatpur upazila, said he
has cultivated paddy on 18-bigha of land this season.

In the previous season, farmers produced around 32.50 lakh tonnes of Boro
rice from 8.18 lakh hectares of land in the division.