Boro Harvest: Good yield delights coastal farmers
Boro cultivation has brought smiles to a good number of farmers at many coastal villages in Barguna, with a bumper yield of the paddy this season.
Farmer Masud Howladar of Charakgachhia village of Barguna Sadar upazila said he has cultivated BRRI 74, a new variety of Boro paddy, on his 80 decimals land this year, spending Tk 31,000 including irrigation and fertilizer cost.
He got 100 maunds of paddy from his land and sold those for Tk 1,000 per maund.
Masud said due to high salinity of the land it was quite difficult to grow any other crop except Aman.
But this year he got a good yield by cultivating Boro on the advice of the local agriculture office.
Shahjahan Fakir, another farmer of the village, said he cultivated Boro on 90 decimals of land this year and got 135 maunds of paddy.
After bearing all the cultivation expenses he made a profit of Tk 1 lakh, Shahjahan said.
Another grower Masud Chowdhury said earlier their lands used to remain uncultivated for at least seven to eight months of the year due to high salinity.
Masud said he will bring more of his land under Boro cultivation next year.
Mizanur Rahman, deputy assistant agricultural officer at Barguna Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), said the salinity level of the agricultural land in the coastal area is too high.
So a few salt tolerant varieties of Boro paddy have been cultivated for the first time in the area and achieved a record yield, he said, adding that under the initiative farmer have been provided 10kg of seeds and 20ks fertiliser free of cost.
Barguna DAE Additional Deputy Director Badrul Alam said Boro paddy has been cultivated on 9,078 hectares of land, including 3,015 hectares in Sadar upazila, 3,000 hectares in Taltali, 1,900 hectares in Amtali, 460 hectares in Bamna, 353 hectares in Betagi and 350 hectares in Patharghata upazila, this year.
Last year Boro was cultivated on 8,270 hectares of land.
Comments