Harvesting and threshing of paddy has started in full swing in the fields of Rajshahi. Due to extreme heat and a favourable climatic condition, farmers of the district are expecting a bumper production of paddy this year.
Sources of Department of Agriculture Extension, Rajshahi, informed the harvesting of paddy started from the first day of the present week. A total of 66,732 hectares of land have been brought under Boro paddy cultivation this year. Out of the total produce, so far harvesting of 8,910 hectares of paddy have been completed and the rest are expected to be finished by next one week or so.
Anisuzzaman Hitler of Fulkuri village under Godagari upazila was supervising the harvesting of paddy by farm labourers. He said, there was a satisfactory production of paddy. Estimated 20 to 22 maunds of paddy have been produced in a bigha of land, he said.
Farmer Kurban Ali of village Mundumala of Tanore informed, the threshing of paddy of his land has been finished two-day ago. He said, he harvested 21 maunds of paddy from each bigha of land even after paying the labourers 20-kilograms of paddy for each 100 kgs of paddy harvesting and threshing. The price of paddy in the market is also satisfactory-Taka 1,030 to 1,055 per maund in the local markets. He hopes to earn a good profit by selling paddy.
KJM Abdul Awal, Deputy Director of Rajshahi Agriculture Extension Department informed, a prolonged drought and absence of rainfall increased the cost of irrigation but the pest infestation in the paddy is less due to drought that is why the production of paddy was good this year. For the same reason, the production of rainfed Aman paddy is less due to an increased pest-infestation on the plants and the sheaffs.
Abdul Awal further informed, the target of producing 284,000 metric tonnes of rice in the district is likely to be achieved this year. The government has decided to procure 8,199 metric tonnes of paddy at Taka 27 per kilogramme from the farmers in Rajshahi. Accordingly, the price of per maunds of paddy stood at Taka 1,980 which is Taka 40 to 50 more per maunds of the present market price.
Shahidar Rahman, Assistant Controller of Rajshahi district Controller of Food office informed, though the government procurement of paddy started in the other places, no procurement has so far started in the district.
He added, paddy will be procured from nine upazilas of the district as well as in Rajshahi city very soon.