<i>Boro</i> seed crisis in B'baria

Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) of Brahmanbaria has stopped selling paddy seeds as its godowns have already been empty while shortage of seeds is hampering preparation of seed beds for 1,04,000 hectares of cultivable paddy fields.
At least 2,080 tonnes of paddy seeds are needed to prepare seed beds covering 6,000 hectares of land to supply seedlings for cultivation of Boro paddy on 1,04,000 hectares of land in the district, but BADC and its dealers have sold only 1001 tonnes of paddy, Agriculture Extension Department (AED) sources said.
Sheikh Md Nurul Islam Sarder, owner of 25 bigha cultivable land in Shahjadapur village, said he could collect only 10 bags of paddy seeds against the need for at least 20 bags (10 kg per bag).
Now he has to depend on low-quality local seeds, he added.
'Cold injury', a disease of paddy plant that affected yield of paddy in different areas of the district has added to the seed crisis in the district.
Preparations of making seedbeds will continue till the end of December, DAE sources said, adding that they sent a letter to higher authorities last week to send at least 400 tonnes of paddy seeds in an urgent basis.