Northern farmers complete 72% Boro seedling transplantation

Braving recent cold waves, farmers have already completed the transplantation of Boro rice seedlings on 72 per cent of the targeted land area in Rangpur agriculture region.

Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said tender plants of Boro rice are growing well across the region where transplantation of seedlings continues in full swing during the current Rabi season.

The DAE and other agri-related organisations are providing the latest technologies to farmers to increase rice production and further strengthen food security amid the global crises caused by the Russia-Ukraine War and the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Getting necessary assistance from the government, farmers have put maximum efforts to make the Boro rice farming program a success,” said Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur region Mohammad Shah Alam.

The government has fixed a target of producing 22,30,219 tonnes of clean Boro rice (33,45,329 tonnes of paddy) from 5,07,050 hectares of land for all five districts in the region this season.

Meanwhile, enthusiastic farmers have already transplanted Boro rice seedlings on over 3,65,080 hectares of land or 72 per cent against the fixed farming target in the region till Thursday.

The DAE with other related organisations, Northern Electricity Supply Company Limited and Rural Electrification Board are ensuring a smooth supply of fertilisers and electricity to farmers to ensure smooth Boro rice cultivation.

“We are expecting that enthusiastic farmers will exceed the fixed Boro rice farming target in Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat districts of the region this season,” Alam said. Being inspired by the DAE, farmers are adopting conservation agriculture (CA)-based technologies, including Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) irrigation methods, while farming Boro rice to save irrigation water and increase rice output at reduced costs.