The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Chapainawabganj

Farmers of the district may not achieve the target of Boro and Wheat cultivation due to acute seed crisis.

According to Department of Agriculture Extension, farmers have set a target to cultivate Boro on 44,940 hectares while wheat on 15,000 hectares in the district during the current season. To achieve the target, they need 990 mts boro seeds and 1,800 mts wheat seeds. While contacted farmers said that they would start preparing boro seedbeds and wheat cultivation in the middle of the current month. But they are apprehending that they might not achieve the target as Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) and its appointed dealers have failed to supply them adequate seeds. Farmers said that usually they store seeds every season but they failed to store seeds this year due to floods and other natural calamities and are now depending on BADC's seed due to its high quality and reasonable price.

Local agricultural officials, however, denied the seed crisis and said that farmers have stocked sufficient despite natural calamities but they are depending on BADC's seeds due to its high quality and reasonable price.

Assistant Director of local BADC Hasan Toufiqur Rahman said BADC received 75 mts of seeds for boro cultivation in the district and of the total, 14 mts were sanctioned for its sale center and the rest seed to its 16 dealers. He also said the sale centre sold out the seeds during the last part of October and dealers have almost finished their quota.

He further said, as the farmers are knocking the door of BADC for seeds every day they have urged the higher authorities to sanction more seven metric tons boro seed to meet the increasing demand. BADC sources said some 130 mts seeds of wheat have been allocated for the district, which will be available within a week.