RANGPUR: The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has fixed a record target of producing over 20.69 lakh tonnes of clean Boro rice from 5.02 lakh hectares of land in Rangpur agriculture region during this winter season, reports BSS. According to official sources, the fixed target of Boro rice production for Rangpur region stands at 10.80 percent of the fixed national target of producing over 1.91 crore tonnes of Boro rice from 48 lakh hectares of land in the country this season.
“The farmers have already prepared Boro rice seedbed on 25,182 hectares of land against the fixed target of preparing the same on 28,983 hectares in the region,” Horticulture Specialist of the DAE Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam told BSS today.
The farmers had been preparing their lands to begin transplantation of Boro seedling from the next month in all five districts of Rangpur, Kurigram, Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat and Gaibandha under Rangpur agriculture region.
“Meanwhile, transplantation of Boro seedling has already begun in the low-lying lands, beels, haors, flood-prone and riverine areas to complete harvest of the crop there before commencement of the next rainy season,” Mesbahul Islam said.
According to the DAE sources, the farmers will produce 7.17 lakh tonnes of hybrid variety Boro rice from 1.51 lakh hectares of land, 13.48 lakh tonnes of high yielding variety Boro rice from 3.49 hectares and 3,768 tonnes of local variety rice from 1,884 hectares of land this time in the region.
Regional Additional Director of the DAE Md Shah Alam said that comprehensive steps were taken for ensuring smooth supply of fertilisers and electricity and delivering of the technologies to the farmers for making the Boro farming programme successful. Noted rice scientist and former Adviser, Agriculture of BRAC International (South Asia and Africa) Dr MA Mazid suggested farmers to complete Boro seedling transplantation within February 15 and end the process by March 15 next to get maximum yield.