Boro rice harvest begins in northern region

Harvesting of Boro rice has just begun with bumper production in Rangpur agriculture region.

Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said the farmers have already completed harvesting of Boro rice in 9,157 hectares of land or 1.80 per cent of the cultivated land area with an excellent average yield rate of 3.60 tonnes of clean rice per hectare.

Harvest of Boro rice will get momentum from the beginning of the next month in the region during the current season.

Meanwhile, farmers expressed their happiness over the present excellent market price of newly harvested Boro paddy in all five districts of the region.

The DAE officials said 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.

“Enthusiastic farmers, however, have finally transplanted Boro rice seedlings on over 5,06,525 hectares of land or 99.90 per cent against the fixed farming target this time,” said Additional Director of the DAE’s Rangpur region Md. Aftab Hoss-ain.

To ensure the smooth cultivation of Boro rice, the DAE, Northern Electricity Supply Company Limited and Rural Electrifica-tion Board and other related organizations are ensuring the supply of fertilisers and electricity to the farmers across the region.

Alongside the mainland, farmers have brought more low-lying char lands, dried-up beels and riverine areas under Boro rice farming in the region where the harvest of the crop has already begun and will be complete before the commencement of the next rainy season.

Tender Boro rice plants are growing fabulously amid favourable climatic conditions this season in the region.

Many farmers are adopting conservation agriculture (CA)-based technologies, including Alternate Wetting and Drying irri-gation methods and organic pests’ management while farming Boro rice to save water and increase rice output at reduced costs.

Farmer Ariful Haque Batul of village Najirdigar in Rangpur Sadar said tender plants of Boro rice on his seven acres of land are growing fast, predicting a bumper output this season.

Farmer Manik Mian of village Darshona in Rangpur Sadar upazila said he has cultivated Boro rice on seven acres of land this time and tender plants of the crop are growing excellently predicting a bumper production.

Similarly, farmers Mostafizar Rahman of Taraganj upazila, Aminul Islam of Gangachara upazila and Noor Mohammad of Badarganj upazila in Rangpur said they are expecting a bumper production of Boro rice as its tender plants are growing splendidly.

Independent Medal 2018 (food security) winner Dr Md. Abdul Mazid lauded the government for extending assistance to the farmers for increasing rice production to reinforce food security amid the global crises caused by the Russia-Ukraine War after the Covid-19 pandemic strains.

“Adoption of the CA-based technologies like AWD irrigation method, use of balanced and organic fertilisers and organic pests’ management in farming Boro rice by farmers will help to get its maximum yield at reduced costs also saving under-ground water,” he said.