Boro harvest going on in full swing in Netrakona, Kishoreganj

BSS, Netrakona :

Boro paddy harvesting in Netrakona which popularly known as ‘grain bowl ‘ of the country, is going on in full swing for last two weeks.
Agriculture experts of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Netrakona office and Boro cultivators said, they are expecting bumper production of the Boro rice this season after seeing the better output rate of the crop.This BSS correspondent while visiting different areas of the district saw that the cultivators were passing their busy times in their Boro fields for harvesting the golden colored ripened Boro paddy with festive mood.
DAE Netrakona office sources said, meanwhile, about 35 percent of the ripened Boro paddy has been harvested in the district while harvesting of 85 percent Boro paddy of the haor areas under the district has been completed by the farmers till today.
During the current Boro season, a target was designed for cultivating Boro paddy on 1,84,470 hectors of land with a plan to produce 7,76,775 tonnes of the Boro rice.
However, Boro was cultivated on a total of 1,84,735 hectors of land, exceeding this year’s target.
Deputy Director of the DAE Netrakona Mohammad Nuruzzaman told BSS that, farmers could exceed the Boro paddy cultivation target this season as the weather condition was favorable and different state-run agencies including BADC, BCIC and PDB ensured proper supply of high quality seeds, seedlings, fertilizers, uninterrupted electricity supply and irrigation machineries and agricultural inputs at the door-steps of the farmers following directives of the government.
Replying to number of questions, he said, 85 percent of ripened Boro paddy of the haor areas under the district have already been harvested by the farmers. “Farmers are using 760 combined harvester machines and 33 paddy ripper machines for harvesting their Boro paddy in ten upazilas of the district”, he said adding that more than 39,425 day -labors or workers are working in the Boro fields of the district.
The deputy director said, over 7.76 lakhs tonnes of the Boro rice are expected to be produced in the district if the weather condition will remain favorable till ending of the harvesting period.
Alam Sarowar Tito from Kishoreganj adds: Every year a festive mode prevails in the haor areas at this time as farmer get busy harvesting and threshing their main crops Boro paddy., But not this year.
Many farmers in haor are in 7 districts as a large number of their Boro corps have been damaged by the blast disease.
The agriculture ministry said, a total of 70 percent of Boro paddy of haor areas have been harvested,
According to Department of Agriculture Extention (D AE) , Boro has been sown on 50 lakh hectares of land across the country this year, while production target is 21.5 million metric tonnes of rice.
In Kishoreganj, harvest of paddy has started in hoar areas. Farmers are busy harvesting paddy. However, there is no smile on the face of Bri-28 rice farmers.
Around 58,000 hectares of Boro paddy in Kishoreganj have been seriously damaged and turned into a cheetah due to neck blast disease. Farmers’ minds are burdened by the loss of the only crop of the year.
Haor people said that, the Water Development Board has constructed 63.174 km of dams at a cost of 10 million taka in nine upazilas of Kishoreganj to prevent crop damage due to landslides and floods.
According to the sources of Department of Agriculture Extension, Boro paddy has been cultivated in 1 lakh 66 thousand 420 hectares of land in 13 upazilas of Kishoreganj this year.
Some 169,290 hectares has been set as the target to be achieved. In Haor area of the district Borodhan cultivation has been done on 1 lakh 3 thousand 775 hectares of land. Among these, Bri-28 rice which has been attacked by neck blast has been cultivated in 28 thousand 880 hectares of land.
The farmet Harun Miah, Nikli’s Dhampara said, One acre of paddy cultivated in Haor of Kamalpur Madal has been completely destroyed due to blast disease.
Abdul Malek, a farmer of Chhatirchar area, said that he cultivated 29 and 79 varieties of rice on seven acres of land. Affected by this disease (blast) most of his paddy has been destroyed.
Nikli Sadar UP member Maion said , proper has damaged two acres of 12 percent paddy. He said that he brought straw from the land for cow food. For that reason, he said that he will not cultivate Bri-28 rice in the hope of early harvesting in the coming days
Dulal Miah, a farmer in Itna haor said, this time the harvest of Bri-29 rice and other rice has been very good. I have already started harvesting paddy. I have cut half of the land. If the weather is favourable, bumpers can bring home a golden harvest.
Ahed Ali, a farmer in Mithamain haor said that it cost about a thousand rupees to produce one maund of paddy. The market price of one maund of paddy is now 700 taka. So where is the profit of rice cultivation? If it was sold at 1300 to 1400 rupees per maund then I could have expected a profit.
Department of Agriculture Extention( DAE) sources, rice has been destroyed due to blast disease in some parts of Haor Upazila Itna, Mithamin, Ashtagram, Nikli and Tarail upazilas. Bri-28 variety of rice suffered more damage. On the leaves of affected plants, oval to round white spots with dark colored margins can be observed. This disease also affects the stem and the grain of rice. This causes the stem to break and young seedlings to die. The yield of rice other than Bri-28 rice has been good. Farmers have started harvesting paddy. Now it is hoped that the farmers will be able to harvest Boro paddy before the water comes. When contact to
Executive Engineer of Water Development Board (WDB) . Matiur Rahman told the New Nation that, , this time 174 km dam has been constructed in 9 upazilas of Kishoreganj through 147 PIC committees. The number of PICs has been increased as per the demand of the local public representatives and local residents considering the actual situation in Haor keeping in mind last year’s early floods.