Local-variety paddy as interim crop

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Farmers in Bogra produced large quantities of local-variety paddy as interim crop between Boro and Aman. According to Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Bogra, the farmers of Bogra would earn around Tk 210 crore in addition by growing the interim crop.

Deputy Director (DD) of DAE, Bogra, Rustam Ali said the department expects about 70,000 tonnes of local variety rice, including Jhapri and BR-5, produced in 12 upazilas without any irrigation cost and with very little agricultural inputs used.

The DAE had the target to produce 63,994 tonnes of local variety rice in Bogra on 26,120 hectares of land but farmers cultivated on 11,446 hectares more land and look forward to crossing the production target.

Sherpur Upazila Agriculture Officer Abul Hashem said on an average BR-5 yielded 7.5 tonnes per hectare in his upazila.

The DAE official told The Daily Star that 40 kg of finer quality moist paddy is selling between Tk 560 and Tk 600 now while dry paddy was being sold at Tk 700.

Farmer Khorshed Alam of Kharna in Shajahanpur upazila said he produced about 400kg of BR-5 on 0.15 hectare of land spending only Tk 3,000 on agricultural inputs this season. “I did not spend any money for irrigation and a little amount was spent on pesticides and for weeding purposes,” he said.

Farmer Aminul Islam of Tekur in the same upazila said he produced 520kg of Jhapri spending only Tk 2,500 on his 0.15 hectare of land this season.

Solaiman of Banshbaria in the same upazila said he produced 240kg of BR-5 spending only Tk 800. He said in the Boro season he and other local farmers had to pay at least Tk 9,000 per hectare for irrigation alone whereas no irrigation expenditure is required for the local variety.

DAE officials say that almost all the farmers in the district earned more than Tk 2.25 lakh spending Tk 25,000 per hectare. They presume farmers of the district are going to earn an additional Tk 210 crore by cultivating the interim paddy.

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