Manikganj farmers busy harvesting Boro paddy

Boro paddy harvesting in all seven upazilas of Manikganj district is going on in full swing with the expectation of bumper production.

Boro cultivation exceeded its fixed target in all seven upazilas of the district during the current season amid much enthusiasm from the farmers, the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) sources said.

A target was set to produce 2,21,480 tonnes of clean rice from 49,000 hectares of land in all seven upazilas of the district during the season, DAE office sources said. But paddy was cultivated on 49,775 hectares in the district.

DAE sources said after harvesting mustard the farmers had started Boro cultivation on their land adding that the fixed target was exceeded by 775 hectares. DAE office sources said local varieties of Boro on the river beds of Padma, Jamuna, Dhaleshwari, Kaliganga and other small rivers of the district were fixed on 500 hectares of land, but the local varieties of Boro were cultivated on 605 hectares of land exceeding its target.

Abu Mohammad Enayet Ullah, Deputy Director of the DAE, said the farmers are expecting good production as favourable weather was prevailing all over the district. The cultivators’ sources said they have started to harvest their main food crop Boro using Combined harvesters to reduce their harvesting cost, adding that the shortage of labourers is also the main factor.

To make the cultivation a grand success, necessary measures were taken to supply quality seeds, fertilisers, insecticides and other agri inputs to the farmers timely at fair prices side by side with ensuring power supply facility by Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) and Rural Electrification Board, said an official of DAE.