Bumper T-Aman yield in Kalapara

Barishal Correspondent :
The Paddy has already turned golden. Since last few days harvesting of paddy began in the rural township of the coastal areas like Kalapara upazila of Patuakhali district.
Farmers are busy to bring the harvested paddy into the house and after threshing, boiling and drying the newly harvested paddy under the sun making festival of meeting each other of the family members and relatives with the dream of a golden future.
There are 35,500 farmer families in two municipalities and 12 unions of Kalapara upazila total arable land is 49210 hectares. 31240 hectares of land has been cultivated this year. Out of those 22550 hectares of seasonal high yielding Ropa Aman and 8150 hectares of seasonal local Aush varieties have been cultivated.
Besides farmers have cultivated seedlings of paddy and vegetables on 540 hectares of land.
However, due to the impact of Cyclone Sitrang, the paddy fields of 921 hectares and vegetables on 54 hectares were partially damaged, Kalapara Upazila Agriculture Office sources said.
Along the coastal area, field of golden rice waiting for cultivation at the end of the season, it is turn of the farmer to bring home the ripen rice. Many have made new scissors for cutting utensils.
Some are repairing and sharpening old utensils again with the help of blacksmiths to harvest the rice. Some farmers preparing to harvest paddy with harvester machines.
In addition, many house farmer families are preparing to clean courtyards for harvested paddy nicely.
However, the harvest is desirable due to the movement and activity of fariyas or middlemen
Farmers are apprehensive about getting the fair price. The farmers gave the memorandum to the upazila administration with human chain to protest against the purchase of paddy from the farinas instead of directly from the farmers
Local farmers said it used to cost 45 to 50 thousand taka per acre till threshing for cultivating paddy. But now the costing increased to Tk.60 to 70 thousand on the same land this year.
Another problem is getting workers for cultivating even with a salary of 700 to 800 taka per day. If sufficient labour force is found, the field will be harvested within two to four days, local farmers told.
Abdul Alim, a farmer of West Badurtali village of Tiakhali Union of the upazila, said, although cyclone Sitrang did not cause much damage to the fields and amount of matured paddy by using fertilizer and pesticide application.
Kalapara Upazila Agriculture Officer Muhammad Saifullah said that the Cyclone Sitrang did not caused sufficient damage to the Aman paddy fields of the farmers in the upazila. So farmers could overcome damages nicely.