Boro paddy has been cultivated in some 2,000 hectares more land in Chatmohar of Pabna this season than the last year. Farmers are cultivating Boro paddy on more land as the price of paddy and fodder (starw) has increased.
According to the Chatmohar Agriculture Office, Boro has been cultivated in around 9,400 hectares of land in 11 unions and a municipality area of Chatmohar this season. Last year, Boro paddy was cultivated in 7,400 hectares of land in these areas. This year the target for Boro cultivation was 9,700 hectares.
Tafiz Uddin, a farmer of Charshen village under Bilchalan union of the upazila, said he has been cultivating Boro paddy on three and a half bighas of land. Around Tk ten thousand per bigha is spent for the purpose of seedling production, land cultivation, ladders, seedling plantation, fertilizers, pesticides, weed removal, and labour cost.
The yields will around 20 to 25 maunds per bigha if the weather remains favourable. One fourth of the cultivated paddy has to be handed over to the irrigation machine owner for the purpose of irrigation. Straw worth Tk 4,000 is yielded from one bigha of land. The owner of the land can earn profit of Tk ten thousand per bigha. However, those who cultivate on leased lands cannot make much profit.
Chatmohar Upazila Agricltural Officer AA Masum Billah said, usually Bridhan-28, Bridhan 29, Bridhan 57 Boro paddy of Ufshi variety and Partex, Tejgold, SL-8 and Chakka Boro paddy of hybrid variety are cultivated in Chatmohar.
The condition of the land looks good till now. As the price of paddy is high in the market at present, hopefully the farmers will get benefit if any natural disaster does not take place.