Rice production boom in monga season likely
The paddy plants, sowed for short-term cultivation to fight seasonal monga from October through November, have been showing likelihood of a production boom in Rangpur division this year, officials say.
Crop growers have planted four paddy varieties -- BRRI-33, BRR- 39, BINA-7, and BU-1 -- in this Aman season in 90,401 hectares of arable land.
The paddy plants now in blooming stage are growing excellently, Dr MA Mazid, rice scientists and Dinajpur hub manager of CSISA, said yesterday.
Farmers will be able to harvest the paddies in only 100 days after sowing if they have used the dry and wet methods of Direct Seeded Rice (DSR), according to Dr Mazid.
He said the ministry of agriculture and the DAE in collaboration with dozens of NGOs and research agencies have been assisting farmers for adequate rice production to combat monga.
DR Mazid said farming of BRRI-33 by Bangladesh Rice Research Institute has been contributing largely to effectively fight monga in Rangpur since 2007, with its maximum production expected this year.
Similarly, farming of BRRI-39, BINA-7, and BU-1 also began helping the poor in the area to overcome monga period in recent years.
''We are expecting a season free of monga this year for large-scale farming of these paddies that farmers can begin harvesting from early October, also securing work opportunities to a lot of farm labourers,'' Mazid said.
Under the DAE programme, farmers have been cultivating the paddies in 19,895 hectares land in Rangpur; 4,541 in Gaibandha; 12,527 in Kurigram; 11,482 in Lalmonirhat; 19,050 in Nilphamari; 9,349 in Dinajpur; 10,035 in Thakurgaon; and 3,602 hectares in Panchagarh districts this year.
Additional Director of the DAE Mohsin Ali said BRRI-33 is being cultivated in 45,284 hectares, BRRI-39 in 12,680 hectares, BINA-7 in 32,214 hectares, and BU-1 in 223 hectares in all eight districts of Rangpur division.
In addition, hundreds of more farmers assisted by different NGOs are engaged in farming the paddies over 2,764 hectares of land in five districts of Rangpur this year.
Comments