Cold spell hampers Boro farming

Though it is now the peak time for Boro cultivation, the ongoing cold spell prevailing in the northern part of the country during the last few weeks has been compelling farmers and agricultural workers to stay inside their homes.

As a result, Boro farming in different areas of Lalmonirhat and Kurigram is likely to be delayed in the current season as persistent cold wave coupled with dense fog damaged a large portion of seedbeds prepared for the purpose.

The prolonged cold wave accompanied by foggy weather has brought day-to-day activities of people living at different villages along the Brahmaputra, Teesta, Dudhkumar, Gangadhar, Jinjiram and Dharla rivers to almost standstill.

Subal Chandra Sarkar, in-charge at Kurigram's Rajarhat Agricultural Meteorological Observatory, said the minimum temperature in the district was recorded at 8.5 degrees Celsius on Wednesday morning.

Local farmers said Boro seedbeds in different areas are turning reddish due to cold injuries, hampering normal growth of the seedlings.

Meanwhile, due to cold spell and dense fog farm labourers are facing utter difficulties in plucking the damaged seedlings and transplanting those in the fields, they added.

Farmer Anwar Hossain of Sakoya village in Lalmonirhat's Aditmari upazila said when he and other labourers went to the crop field a few days ago, the severe cold forced them to rush back their homes, leaving the work incomplete.

Due to the adverse weather, many labourers often refuse to work in the wet Boro fields or demand high wages, he added.

Lalmonirhat Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) Deputy Director Hamidur Rahman said if the ongoing cold weather continues for a few more days it may adversely affect the Boro seedlings on vast tracts of land.

Though Boro cultivation has been delayed a bit, hopefully, overall Boro farming would not be affected that much despite late plantation, he added.

According to Lalmonirhat and Kurigram DAE, farmers in the two districts have prepared Boro seedbeds on 1,550 hectares of land this season while transplanting has been completed on only 10 percent of the targeted area.

DAE sources said the department has a target to cultivate Boro paddy on a total of 1,92,000 hectares of land in the two districts.