The frustrated farmers of Jhenidah have been witnessing huge loss for the last couple of years due to least price of crops and high cost of production.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has been trying to introduce modern technology to boost production and minimize the production cost for the interest of the farmers, DAE sources said.
The farmers of the district brought a total of 104,125 hectares of land under the farming as against the DAE target for105, 250 hectares. The farmers brought 101,250 hectares of land in last T Aman season, sources said.
The farmers said they had been witnessing huge dust in the air till third week of September and feeling disheartened due to least rainfall required for their (T Aman) season. But the nature blessed the cropland with huge rainfall in the late September that enriched almost enough water required for the paddy plants.
‘They have started preparing their land with full enthusiasm to boost production in the season. It will help them reap better and reduce the production cost during the season, said the farmers.
A number of farmers of Solemanpur of Kotchandpur and Khalishpur of Moheshpur when contacted said they are happy as the plants growing mature within a few weeks. The healthy T Aman plants might offer 18-29 maunds per 33 decimal bigha of land in the current season. Least duration for BRRI 49 variety of the Aman will offer better yield in the season. It takes 130 to 135 days, while BRRI 33, 34, 39 and 41 takes 145 to 155 days for complete harvesting, they said.
According to the office the deputy director of the department of agriculture extension (DAE) in Jhenidah, the authority had set target to produce 337,620 tons of rice on a total of 105,250 hectares of land in six upazilas of the district in the current T Aman season. The farmers of the district brought 104,125 hectares of land under the farming where the achievement of area was 98.98 per cent in the season.
Breakup of the land under the farming was 24,885 hectares in Shailkupa, 25,380 hectares in Jhenidah Sadar, 18,550 hectares in Kaliganj, 6,120 hectares in Kotchandpur, 18,140 hectares in Moheshpur, and 11,050 hectares of land in Harinakundu upazila. Here 99 per cent of the land was brought in the season. The farmers produced 300,588 tons of rice on 101,250 hectares of land in last T Aman season, sources said.
Outgoing Deputy Director of DAE in Jhenidah GM Abdur Rauf when contacted, said the farming of T Aman mostly depends on rainfall as the farming requires huge irrigation water. Only a number of well to do framers ensure water through deep tube wells or shallow machines, while the matter was costly that goes beyond the capacity of the farmers as it increases the production cost.
Admitting deprivation of fair prices due to higher cost of seed, fertilizer, chemical pesticides and day laborers, the deputy director said the farmers have been incurring loss for past few years.
The DAE has been trying to recover the loss using modern technology to save the time, labors and other production cost in paddy farming for their sound socio-economic state.
