Boro cultivation to exceed target

Boro rice cultivation in the country has reached 98 per cent of its target as of February while farmers showed increasing interest in cultivating the hybrid variety in the current season.

A Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) report published on February 27 noted that 97 per cent of Boro cultivation target had been met.

The DAE control room also confirmed the progress.

After visiting Sirajganj, Munshiganj, Bogura and Shariatpur last week, The Business Post correspondent saw that many farmers were still planting rice seedlings while Boro cultivation will cross its desired target in the current season.

DAE fixed the target of cultivating Boro on 48,72,600 hectares in fiscal year 2021-22. Until February 27, farmers had brought 47,07,572 hectares (96.61 per cent of the target) under Boro cultivation, the DAE report said. The last time for boro plantation is March 10-15.

The authorities aimed to cultivate high-yielding variety on 36,15,800 hectares while so far cultivation has been completed on 33,98,595 hectares, marking 93.99 per cent progress.

Besides, local rice varieties were cultivated on 20,683 hectares against the target of 20,100 hectares, displaying 102.9 per cent progress. Moreover, the target of planting hybrid rice was on 12,36,700 hectares while cultivation was completed on 12,88,294 hectares, marking 104.17 per cent progress.

This year, farmers showed greater interest in cultivating hybrid varieties and achieved a seedbed preparation target of 137.6 per cent, according to the DAE report. Besides, local and Ufshi variety seedbed preparation targets reached 134.12 per cent and 112.18 per cent, respectively.

The overall scenario showed that despite having a target of preparing Boro seedbed on 2,31,601 hectares, so far seedbed was prepared on 2,720,51 hectares which is 117.73 per cent of the target.

Small farmer Md Sohag of Munshiganj has cultivated Boro hybrid variety on 45 decimal (shatak) of land. “Others cultivated the same variety, so I also bought two kilograms of hybrid seeds, spending Tk 1,200.”

“Paddy gets damaged if there’s early rain, so getting yield 10 days earlier reduces the risks of paddy loss. I decided to plant a hybrid variety, considering high yield and early production,” he said.

Field Services Wing (FSW) director of DAE, Md Sirajul Islam, said farmers in low-lying areas preferred hybrid varieties to collect paddy before floods. Besides, the amount of land crossed the target this year as farmers cultivated rice even in non-arable land due to the increasing price of rice.

“There was a time when farmers didn’t want to cut crops from the land as it was costlier and rice price was significantly low. But now rice prices have soared, making it more profitable. So, farmers use land that was not used for rice cultivation earlier. Hopefully, Boro cultivation will go beyond the target this year,” he stated.

The government has provided a small incentive in hybrid production as it provides high yield in a short time, increasing production day by day, he explained. He added that most of the private companies supply imported hybrid seeds. The government fixed a target of producing 2,09,51,302 tonnes of Boro in FY 2021-22. The hybrid production target was 60,87,901 metric tonnes and Ufshi 1,48,26,100MT.

In February, the government decided that the rice and paddy procurement would begin on April 28 and continue till August 31 this year.

The procurement price of Boro paddy was fixed at Tk 27 per kg, boiled rice at Tk 40 per kg and Atap rice (non-boiled) at Tk 39. The decision was taken at a virtual meeting of the Food Planning and Monitoring Committee with Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder in the chair.

About rice price hike, Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder said the prices of thin rice in the market had increased slightly as people’s food habits have changed while that of coarse rice have declined.

Sadhan urged Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzque to boost the production of thin rice considering the price hike.

In reply, Agriculture Minister Razzaque said an all-out effort had been taken to increase overall agricultural production.

He said the production of two newly invented varieties of Boro paddy - Bri-89 and Bri-92 - is being increased. “Production of these two varieties of paddy will be higher and rice will be thinner,” he added. Apart from it, to increase food production, the cultivation of high yielding varieties of paddy is being increased.