Synchronised cultivation going on in 61 districts

Synchronised cultivation is running simultaneously in 61 districts of the country under an incentive programme of the government to boost community cultivation and increase paddy production with low labour and expenditure.

Under the incentive programme, farmers are being provided with hybrid varieties of Boro rice seeds, fertilisers and planting of saplings, the agriculture ministry said in a statement yesterday.

Agriculture Minister Muhammad Abdur Razzaque said under synchronised cultivation system, plantation of rice saplings on each acre of land through rice transplanter can be done in one hour, reducing the cost of farmer by Tk 4,500 per acre.

His comment came as he was inaugurating plantation of rice saplings in 50 acres of land/block in synchronous system at Kendua village in Dhanbari, Tangail yesterday.

He expressed hope that no one will plant paddy in by hand in the next four to five years.

The event was organised by the Department of Agricultural Extension.

Synchronised cultivation is a new method of cultivation, where the same variety of paddy is planted in one large block field combining the lands of a number of farmers at the same time by machine.

From seedbed preparation to harvesting, all processes are performed simultaneously with the help of machines.

"A project worth Tk 3,020 crore has been taken with utmost importance in farm mechanisation. Besides, 274 posts of field level agricultural engineers have already been created to create skilled manpower to accelerate farm mechanisation," he added.