The New Nation - Internet Edition

Syful Islam

Boro production may exceed target this year unless there is any massive natural calamity, experts said.

Meanwhile, the recent seasonal storms and rainfalls did not effect the Boro fields leaving the hope of a bumper production of the paddy. However, in some places of greater Jessore and Kushtia farmers have cultivated Irri instead of Boro this season, fields have been affected by unidentified virus killing sheaf of paddy. Local agriculture officials could neither detect nor cure the disease.

Department of Agriculture sources said this year's Boro cultivation target was fixed at 45 lakh hectares of land. But the farmers have cultivated Boro paddy on some more lands creating a hope of production of an extra 5 lakh tones of the food grain. The Boro production target had been fixed at 1.75 crore tonnes this year. Sources said farmers offered their best efforts to produce Boro paddy this year. They did not care for government incentives or inputs during Boro cultivation. The two-phase floods and cyclone Sidr had taken a tool on the farmers.

Dr Md Abdur Razzaque, Executive Chairman of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) yesterday told The New Nation that the condition of crop in the field is very good. "Unless there is any massive calamity there will be a bumper Boro production this year" he said.

Dr Razzaque said, "The Government functionaries also offered their best efforts to help farmers in the cultivation process. Researches and agriculture officials were fully active, monitored and supervised the overall activities closely. These have encouraged farmers to put their best efforts, too".

"Nature has also helped farmers this year during Boro cultivation. Farmers had not to depend on irrigation as rainfalls helped them as an alternative, which has saved their money," he said.

Meanwhile, Boro harvesting in some areas of the country has already started. Farmers in Juri upzila under Moulovibazar district started cutting of Boro paddy on Sunday. Harvesting of Boro paddy in Haor areas will begin shortly. This will continue for the entire April and May period.

However, the weather experts forecast some 4 to 6 middle and high intensity storms in the month of April. This month an extra 10 to 15 per cent rainfall may occur, they said.