Dinajpur farmers busy with Boro farming despite cold

 
Farmers are busy in their fields ignoring cold and dense fog as Boro cultivation is in full swing in 13 upazilas of Dinajpur district.
During a ground visit, it has been found that farmers were planting Boro seeds in cold water in the morning.

Besides, land was being prepared for Boro cultivation. Farmers were plowing to prepare Boro land from dawn to till noon.
Among the IRRI and Boro paddy, farmers are cultivating hybrid and Ufsi varieties of paddy in most of their paddy fields.  Some local varieties such as Hira-1, Hira-2, Sonar Bangla, B-Dhan 28, BRRI-29, BRRI-81, BRRI-74, BRRI-89 are being cultivated.

In 13 upazilas of Dinajpur district, the target of IRRI-Boro paddy cultivation has set up for 1 lakh 76 thousand 300 hectares of land.   
While talking to farmers, they said, "Early planting of seedlings leads to better crop production. We are expecting 20 percent higher production than other crops."

They said, "The price of seeds and fertilizers is high. Wages of workers are also high. If the prices of fertilizers and seeds were affordable, rice cultivation would have been more profitable for us."

Krishibid Md Nuruzzaman, deputy director of Department of Agricultural Extension, Dinajpur, said, "Farmers are quite relieves as there is not much winter damage to seedbeds this season. If all goes well, the production of IRRI Boro is expected to exceed the target."

>>Siddik Hossain in Dinajpur