Khulna Correspondent :
The Boro fields in Khulna are having to cope with the impact of natural disasters, cold waves, drought and heat waves. As a result, farmers are spending 30 taka and 4 paisa on producing per kg of paddy this season. Last year, production cost was 28 taka and 90 paisa. The highest cost is on the wages of agricultural workers. The wage of agricultural workers per person during seeding and planting was 600 taka. Now, the same wage during paddy harvesting is 700-800 taka per person per day. If the temperature increases or if there is rain, the wage per person will increase by another 200 taka. After fifteen days, there may be a shortage of agricultural workers in Dumuria, Terkhada and Paikgachha, areas where more paddy is cultivated.
The cold waves cause major damage to this crop during the beginning of seeding in November and during planting in December-mid-January. Due to the cold waves, a disease called blast occurs in many places. Farmers in this region were able to resist the blast with the advice of agricultural extension. This season, boro was cultivated on 65,536 hectares of land in nine upazilas, including the metropolis. In the hope of more profit, farmers in this region cultivate hybrid seeds on the lion’s share of land. The most cultivation has been done in Dumuria upazila. The area of boro cultivation here is 21,558 hectares, besides boro is cultivated on 8,949 hectares in Terkhada upazila and 5,995 hectares in Paikgachha upazila. This season, 3 lakh 8 thousand 994 metric tons of paddy will be produced in the district. Last season, 2 lakh 98 thousand 760 metric tons were produced in this district on 64 thousand 860 hectares of land. This information is from the Department of Agricultural Extension.
In Terkhadar, Azgara, Kalinagar, Chagladaha, Nishipur, Kola, Ichamati, Naybarasat, Koyra Amadi, and Bedkashi, rice varieties of Bri-105, Bina-25, Hira-1, 2, 19, SL 8, Moyna, Bri Dhan-88 have been cultivated in saline areas. In Dakop, Koyra, Paikgachha, and Batiaghata, 65 percent of the land is under salt-tolerant hybrid varieties.
According to the source, the cost of production per acre this season, including seeds, urea, DAP, MOP, gypsum, zinc, organic fertilizers, pesticides, land rent, and agricultural laborers, from seeding to harvesting, is Tk 90,957. Agricultural farmers have disagreed with this information from the Department of Agricultural Extension. Khulna District Agriculture Extension Department Deputy Director Md. Nazrul Islam said that production costs have increased this year due to the increase in the price of seeds, fertilizers and agricultural labor. 6 percent of the land in the district has been cut into boro. The upazilas that have been planted in advance are Paikgachha, Koyra, Dumuria, Terkhada.
He said that the wage per person during planting from 7 am to 3 pm was 600 taka. The wages of agricultural laborers may increase due to the heat wave.
Terkhada Upazila Agriculture Officer Shiuli Majumdar said that production will be as expected in Harikhali, Ajugra, Madhupur, Sachiadaha and Chagladaha. There was no irrigation crisis. Although there was an attack of insects in one or two places, farmers easily controlled it. Production costs have increased this year due to the increase in agricultural wages.
Hanif Morol, a farmer from Kharnia area of Dumuria upazila, has planted boro on 5 acres of land. According to the information given by him, the production will be 15 thousand taka per bigha. The daily agricultural wage per person during planting was 600 taka. Paddy harvesting will begin on his cultivated land from next Friday. He estimates that the per person wage of an agricultural worker during paddy harvesting could be 800 taka. He is optimistic that if there is 30 maunds of paddy per bigha, he will get double the price of production cost. Farmers of this village, Moniruzzaman Kazi and Maqbul Islam Sheikh, are optimistic that the wages of agricultural workers may increase if there is a drought, rain or increase in temperature. They are optimistic that the expected yield will be achieved if there is no natural disaster. Last year, at the beginning of Boro harvesting, new paddy was sold at 1,000 maunds in the markets of Batiaghata’s Koia, Batiaghata Sadar and Dakop’s Chalna. This is the first time that farmers have seen a profit after overcoming the shock of the Corona in 2022. Farmers of Dumuria, Paikgachha and Rupsa suffered due to heavy rains in October during the Aman season.
