95pc boro harvest in haors done
In a major progress, 95 percent boro paddy in haor areas has been harvested till yesterday despite a shortage of harvesters due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the country's other areas, harvesting of 25 percent boro crop has been completed, Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzaque told The Daily Star yesterday.
He said farmers in haor areas would be able to harvest the rest of their paddy by this week.
Amid a shortage of harvesters, the agriculture ministry sent at least 75,000 workers to haor areas from different other parts of the country.
Razzaque, also a presidium member of Awami League, said about 350,500 workers harvested paddy in haor areas maintaining health guidelines.
Earlier on Tuesday, speaking at an online views-exchange meeting with journalists from his Secretariat office, the senior minister expressed optimism that farmers would be able to harvest cent percent paddy within next month.
Harvesting was delayed in haor areas as the BRRI-29 (having a 165-day lifespan) type of paddy was cultivated there, he added.
Razzaque said farmers cultivated boro on 47.54 lakh hectares of land across the country this year and the paddy from some 11.88 hectares of land was harvested so far.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, boro was cultivated on 4.45 lakh hectares in the haor regions of Kishoreganj, Netrakona, Sunamganj, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Sylhet and Brahmanbaria.
At the briefing, the minister informed journalists about different strategies and directives of the government on facing the challenges resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic.
He thanked local public representatives, local administrations, district police, all concerned of the health and agriculture departments at the district, upazila and union levels for the success in harvesting boro paddy.
Razzaque also expressed gratitude to different socio-cultural organisations, political parties and student organisations, including Krishak League and Chhatra League, students and teachers of schools and colleges, for helping farmers in harvesting paddy.
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