Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque said on Wednesday he expected a record production of Boro this year as there were no early floods or any other serious challenges.
He said Boro paddy has been cultivated on about 50 lakh hectares of land across the country in the current fiscal year 2022-23.
If there is no natural disaster and rice is brought home on time, there will be record production in Boro, he said while exchanging views with farmers during the Boro paddy harvesting festival at Dekar Haor in Shantiganj upazila of Sunamganj.
Sunamganj District Administration and Agriculture Extension Office organised the event.
“Boro paddy harvesting is going on in the haors, and about 35 percent of the paddy has been harvested so far. At present, paddy harvesting is going on in 1,000 combined harvesters in Sunamganj alone. Hopefully, the paddy will be harvested by the 30th and this time there will be no problem in harvesting the paddy,” the minister said.
Highlighting the government's various steps to make paddy harvesting in haors risk-free, the minister said, "We have to live in fear every year about taking haor paddy home due to early floods and flash floods. We are working in such a way that…in the next two-three years, the rice production in the haors will be risk-free.”
“Besides, we are giving importance to the cultivation of short-lived and cold-tolerant early varieties of rice so that the paddy is ripe 15 days in advance. Scientists have already developed many varieties. If these varieties can be expanded quickly, there will be no fear about bringing the rice home. Paddy can be harvested before the water arrives,” he added.
The minister also urged farmers not to cultivate BRI 28 and BRI 29 varieties of rice.
He said the BRI 28 variety has become outdated, easily affected by various diseases including blast, and productivity has also decreased. He said BRI 29 is a little late to come.
“Instead of these varieties, high-yielding new varieties such as BRI-81, BRI-89, BRI- should be cultivated,” he advised.
It is to be noted that an incentive of Tk 170 crore was given to increase the cultivation and production of Boro this year. About 27 lakh farmers across the country have got free seeds and fertilizers under this incentive.
Planning Minister MA Mannan, Deputy Minister for Water Resources AKM Enamul Haque Shamim were also present at the programme, among others.