CIG affiliated farmers of Pakundia upazila of Kishoreganj are now preserving high-yielding varieties of paddy seeds for the upcoming seasons under NATP-2 programme. One of the conditions for good crop production is the use of quality and high yielding seeds. In the Boro, Aush, Aman paddy cultivation seasons the price of the seeds increases due to the huge demand. Moreover, some dishonest traders supply defective seeds in the market.
Under the National Agricultural Technology Program Phase-II Project (NATP-2) in Pakundia, CIG affiliated farmers received seed conservation drum from the AIF-2 fund. Now they are preserving the advanced high-yielding varieties of seeds and expanding the breed by selling it to other farmers. While visiting the Adityapasha Baganbari CIG office in Pakundia upazila, it was found that CIG members have stored 3600 kg high yielding paddy seeds in 60 drums, which are now being sold to different farmers.
General Secretary of Adityapasha Baganbari CIG Rafiqul Islam said, “We have learned about the importance of seed preservation in CIG Farmer Training. Now we are preserving various types of high-yielding paddy seeds for the upcoming seasons”. Hadiul Islam, president of Angiadi Tanpara CIG said, “We have received 60 drums from our CIG and from the AIF-2 fund to preserve seeds. Senior Conservation Officers of the Department of Agricultural Extension also visited our preserved seeds recently”.
Nasima Akhter, a member of the Khamar Bilpar Mohila CIG, said, “At the suggestion of our Deputy Assistant Agricultural Officer Hamimul Haque Sohag, female members of our CIG had saved seeds in drums at home and now selling them to other farmers”. Seed seller Rony of Pakundia Bazar said, “Our sales of seeds are much lower this year as compared to other years as many farmers of this upazila are now saving their own seeds”.
Mohammad Hamimul Haque Sohag, Deputy Assistant Agriculture Officer of Angiadi Block said that, under the NATP-2 project, 120 seed conservation drums were given to CIG farmers. Farmers are now benefitting from preserving and selling the seeds. Deputy Director of Kishoreganj Department of Agricultural Extension Md. Saiful Alam said, “It is a project of Phase-II Project (NATP-2). We suggest how to preserve and sell this seeds so that farmers can be benefited from it”.