Hartal, blockade hamper robi crop cultivation

Robi crop cultivation in the ongoing peak season is badly hampered in Thakurgaon and Panchagarh districts due to obstruction to carrying seeds, fertiliser and diesel amid BNP-led 18-party sponsored successive hartals and blockades across the country.
Due to the situation, farmers of robi crops, especially wheat and potato, are worried about expected yield if they failed to sow the seeds in time.
Only about 16,750 hectares of land have been brought under wheat cultivation against the target of 57,325 hectares in Thakurgaon. Potato has been cultivated on only about 18,545 hectares of land against the target of 22,579 hectares, said sources of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE).
In Panchagarh, wheat has been cultivated on only about 3,000 hectares of land against the target of 15,682 hectares and potato on 5,120 hectares against the target of 10,593 hectares.
During a visit to different villages in Baliadangi and Sadar upazilas in Thakurgaon and Boda upazila in Panchagarh on Friday and Saturday, this correspondent saw most of the wheat and potato farmers passing idle time with deep frustration as they could not prepare lands due to diesel crisis.
Those who have already prepared the lands are unable to carry seeds and fertilisers from dealers' shops or cold storages due to transport problem.
"I completed preparing my five bighas ((one bigha = 0.3306 acre) of land for wheat cultivation a few days ago but I am yet to bring seeds from the sales centre of Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation due to blockade," said Rawshanul Haque, 45, of Baragaon village in Thakurgaon Sadar upazila, 20 kilometres from Thakurgaon town.
Jitendranath Barman, 48, of Balaramhat village under Boda upazila said he decided to cultivate wheat on four bighas of land but he is yet to start ploughing the land with power-tiller due to diesel crisis.
"I went to three filling stations for diesel but failed to manage as their stock had already finished. They could not bring fuel from petroleum depots in Baghabari and Parbatipur for a week due to successive blockade programmes," he said.
Habib Mohammad Ahsanur Rahman, of Balia village under Thakurgaon Sadar upazila, who has a scheme for wheat cultivation on 30 bighas and potato on 80 bighas of land, said, "After preparing about 15 bighas of land, I had to stop ploughing with power tiller on Wednesday due to acute crisis of diesel."
Mokleser Rahman, manager of Enamul Filling Station in Thakurgaon, said, "Now many farmers are returning empty-handed every day as our stock of diesel was finished on last Wednesday. We could not carry fuel from Baghabari depot due to repeated blockade programmes."
Admitting that over half of the targeted land for wheat and potato farming remained uncultivated, Deputy Director of Thakurgaon DAE Belayet Hossain said, "November 15 to November 30 is the optimum period for wheat cultivation in the region. If the crop is sown after December 5 the yield will be less. Potato can be sown till mid-December."