The New Nation - Internet Edition

Tapan Chakrabarty, Barisal

Boro cultivators of Agailjhara and Gournadi Upazilas of Barisal district are facing a serious problem as disease like Bacterial Leaf Blight (BLB) and Bacterial Leaf streak (BLS) are quickly spreading in Boro paddy-fields. These diseases have spread in hundreds of acres of Boro paddy-field and the growers have panicked. Sidr has spoiled the previous paddy cultivation and this time it would practically be all over for them if they fail to reap the Boro harvest. Peasants of these two upazilas have invested almost everything including money taken on loan and now while the harvest is almost near this new problem has struck. Jahangir Howladar of Diashur village, who is an Irri Block Manager and is a Boro cultivator expressed great disappointment as Boro paddy on his 3 bighas of land are drying out due to BLB disease. The disease has also attacked Boro paddy of Surai Khalifa. Abu Akon of the same village. Even Irri block of Rajihar village of Agailjhara have been attacked by BLB and BLS. Peasants like Shukder Bepari, Diten Mistry, Monju Haldar informed that BLB has spread vickly after rain a few days ago. No preventive medicine or chemicals has been of any help. Assistant Agricultural Officer of Agailjhara Md Khalilur Rahman informed that stormy weather, excessive use of urea, lesser use of potash fertiliser are reasons for such disease. Medicine like Hinosan should be applied against such disease. But Hinosan is not available in market. He advised use of 6 kg potash fertiliser per bigha of land. This year Boro has been cultivated on seven thousand five hundred hectares of land in Gournadi and on eleven thousand hectares of land in Agailjhara Upazila. But the farmers are uncertain about reaping the harvest due to BLB and BLS.