The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Rajshahi

A big project involving Taka 52.99 crore is being implemented to reach the agro-engineering and technology to the farmers' level to help them enhance the agriculture production in the region.

Officials told BSS yesterday that the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has been implementing the project, begun in July in 2005, to make the modern technologies acceptable at the field level as demand for food is gradually increasing with the rise in population.

They said the five-year project on 'Production Enhancement and Creation of Rural Employment through Extension of Agriculture Engineering Technology' is being implemented in 112 upazilas of 56 districts in the country.

Main objectives of the project are to make the agriculture sector profitable by reducing expenditures at all spheres of production and also to upgrade it.

Besides extension of irrigation area through time-befitting Management, the project seeks to increase crop intensity along with quality development and resist misuse through proper application of agriculture machinery.

To attain the goal, the officials said, steps are being taken to appoint agriculture engineers at the upazila level aimed at motivating the farmers towards using modern agriculture engineering technologies and re-excavating the rural derelict canals, ponds and other waterbodies to preserve surface water during the dry seasons.

Under the project, need-based training will be provided to the users, drivers and mechanics of the agriculture machinery. Besides, a database related to agro-machinery and small irrigation management will be developed.

The officials said modern machinery like power tiller, seeder, weeder, sprayer, self-propelled reaper, power thresher and drier are being distributed among the farmers groups.

Side by side, demonstrations, training, field day, farmers rally, workshop and agriculture machinery fair are being arranged in connection with irrigation management, canal improving, surface-water conservation and removing stagnant water.

Deputy Director of DAE, Rajshahi, Rabindra Kumar Mazumder told BSS that the project after its successful implementation would help attain the targeted crop production in the country.

In this context, he said, expected farm production is very possible if the systems of balanced fertiliser, quality seed, improved irrigation management, suitable farm-machinery and cultivation method could be integrated effectively.