Boro harvesting going on in full swing in Netrakona

Boro paddy harvesting in this district, which is popularly known as the ‘grain bowl ‘ of the country, is going on in full swing for the 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-coloured ripened Boro paddy with a festive mood.

DAE Netrakona office sources said, meanwhile, about 35 per cent of the ripened Boro paddy has been harvested in the district while harvesting of 85 per cent of Boro paddy of the haor areas under the district has been completed by the farmers till Thursday.

During the current Boro season, a target was designed for cultivating Boro paddy on 1,84,470 hectares of land with a plan to produce 7,76,775 tonnes of 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 said that farmers could exceed the  Boro paddy cultivation target this season as the weather condition was favorable.

Different state-run agencies including BADC, BCIC and PDB ensured proper supply of high-quality seeds, seedlings, fertilizers, uninterrupted electricity supply and irrigation machinery and agricultural inputs at the doorsteps of the farmers following directives of the government.

Replying to a number of questions, he said, 85 per cent 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 — labourers or workers are working in the Boro fields of the district.

The deputy director said, over 7.76 lakh tonnes of the Boro rice are expected to be produced in the district if the weather condition remains favourable till the end of the harvesting period.