Al Amin, Sunamganj
Even before the onset of the flood, the bumper yield of crops in the Haor areas in Sunamganj has not stopped. The farmers of Haor region though are becoming destitute due to the sinking of Haor. The good news is that bumper yields have been achieved by cultivating early varieties of hybrid rice variants in Shanir Haor this time. The farmers are happy with this. Haor farmers said that keeping in mind the early floods, it is necessary to increase the cultivation of good yielding paddy in Haor area in a short time. Then farmers will be able to protect their golden crop from floods in advance. But the Department of Agriculture says there is immense potential for hybrid paddy in Haor region. Farmers have got bumper yield by cultivating hybrid Diamond, Jhalakraj paddy in Shanir Haor.
Sushen Talukder, a farmer of Shanir Haor in Tahirpur upazila of Sunamganj, has been cultivating paddy in Haor for last 13 years. But the yield was not good every year. In some years the crop is submerged in water. With all this, he was facing losses by cultivating every year. But for the last two years, he has been cultivating hybrid varieties of diamond paddy and getting good yield. This time when the dams of different haors of the district are breaking and the boro crop was sinking in the water, the farmers are crying. Half of the farmers in Shanir Haor of Tahirpur upazila are harvesting paddy in full force. Not only Sushen Talukder, but also Mahmuda Begum, Abdul Majid, Jewel Ahmed and other farmers of this haor have cultivated diamond paddy this time. They demanded the government to increase the cultivation of diamond paddy in the future with the success of this paddy and to give importance to the cultivation of high yielding hybrid varieties of paddy for Haor region keeping in view the early floods. However, the farmers said that if 30 mounds of paddy is produced in one BIgha area of Bri-28 variety of paddy, then 40 to 45 mounds of Hira-1 variety of paddy is produced in one bigha. Other rice including BRRI-28 is delayed in ripening and harvesting. Farmers in Haor region have to live in fear of floods in advance. There is a danger of drowning at any time.
Farmer Sushen Talukder said, I have been working in agriculture for 12 to 13 years. If paddy is cultivated every year, there is a loss. Yield is not good. On the advice of a seed trader friend and the Department of Agriculture, the yield was good by cultivating Hira-1 variety of paddy in 3 acres of land at the beginning of last year. This time bumper yield has been obtained due to cultivation of diamond paddy. At present I have finished cutting diamond paddy. He is cultivating Brie-28 variety of paddy in one hectare of land but the yield is not good. He does not know if he can cut BRRI-28 paddy. Most of the farmers in Shanir Haor are cultivating diamond paddy and everyone has got bumper crop. He has got 20 to 25 mounds of paddy.
Mahmuda Begum, a farmer of Shanir Haor, said, "We, the farmers of Haor, cultivate BRRI-28 variety of paddy for fear of early floods. So that we can shoot before the flood water comes. Although less in yield, paddy is available earlier. But this time BRRI-28 and BRRI-29 varieties of paddy have been cultivated. At first BRRI-28 variety of rice was eaten by insects. This time I was cultivating diamond paddy in some places besides BRRi-28 and BRRI-29 varieties of paddy. The loss of 28 and 29 paddy can be compensated by diamond. If I had not cultivated diamond paddy, this time I would have face a lot of losses.
Jewel Mia said, "BRRI-28 variety of paddy ripens in less time so we used to cultivate BRRI-28 variety more." But the hybrid diamond-1 variety of rice is equal to BRII-28. It matures in 135 to 140 days. But diamond yield is high and BRRI-28 yield is low. Many people in Haor are crying over the loss of paddy We demand from the government to take care of the farmers of Haor region. Then the farmers will be saved from the flood in advance. Otherwise, the farmers are more likely to be submerged in the floods every year in advance.
The representative of hybrid variety of rice Hira-1, agronomist Mashiur Rahman said, 50% farmers of Shanir Haor have cultivated diamond paddy this time. Their yields have been bumper. After inspiring the farmers, they have increased their interest in cultivating Hira-1 variety of paddy on the advice of the Department of Agriculture. Haor farmers cultivate short term BRRI-28 variety of paddy but the yield is not good. Contemporary hybrid Hira-1, Hira-2 variety of rice of BRRI-28 variety. This rice yields more in less time. This time the farmers of Shanir Haor are getting it. They are able to harvest paddy before the flood.
Tahirpur Upazila Agriculture Officer Hasan Ud Daula said farmers in Haor have to live in fear of floods in Boro paddy every year. There is no substitute for high yielding varieties of hybrid rice in less time to save from it. Hybrid Hira 1, Subarna 3, Jhalakraj and other varieties of hybrid rice have a lifespan of 135 to 140 days. In this, the paddy ripens. Yield is better than BRRI-28 and BRRI-29 varieties of paddy. We are urging the farmers to cultivate high yielding varieties of hybrid rice in less time. This time, Boro paddy has been cultivated in 16 thousand 495 hectare land of Tahirpur upazila. Of this, 13,640 hectares of land has been cultivated in Haor.
However, Bimal Chandra Som, deputy director of the district agriculture extension department, said Boro paddy has been cultivated in 222,000 hectares of land in Sunamganj this year. Of this, hybrid rice has been cultivated in 26 percent of the land. In order to protect the farmers from the floods in advance, I am advising to cultivate BRRI-28, BRRI-29 varieties of paddy and cultivate BRRI-64, BRRI-6 instead of hybrid or BRRI-28. There is a lot of potential for high yielding varieties of hybrid rice in Haor region.
He added that 1 lakh 45 thousand metric tonnes of paddy has been harvested in the district so far. 81 percent in haor and 20 percent outside haor. On an average, 85 percent of the total paddy has been harvested. Paddy is being harvested in full swing. Hopefully the Haor paddy will be completely finished by this week. About 6,000 hectares have been damaged in the district so far.
