Bogura farmers expect greater yield, higher price for Boro paddy

Farmers in Bogura expect the yield of Boro paddy to exceed the target due to good weather and fewer diseases. They also hope to get a better price for the paddy as the quality of the crop is better than usual.

Expressing similar optimism, officials at the Department of Agricultural Extension said the harvesting and threshing of paddy has not started fully. But some farmers have already reported a yield of 25 maunds of paddy per bigha, and the wet paddy was sold for Tk850-900 per maund.

Abul Kashem Azad, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension in Bogura, also expressed the hope of harvesting 25 maunds of paddy per bigha, which is 18 percent more than the target.

Agriculture officers in Nandigram and Dhunot upazilas in Bogura said this year the targeted growth of Boro paddy was 21 maunds per bigha. But, 23 to 25 maund of paddy per bigha was harvested in the areas where the farmers have started cutting the crop.

Shahidul Islam, a farmer in Kalikapur village in Nandigram, said he cultivated the Boro paddy on 30 bighas of land.

"I have harvested 22 to 25 maunds of paddy per bigha, depending on the type of paddy and soil" said Shahidul.

He also said the paddy which was sold at Tk550 to Tk620 per maund last year, was being sold at Tk850 to Tk900 this year.

The farmer said he sold his crop for Tk850-900 per maund immediately after cutting it.

 "In the last season of growing Aman paddy, I could not even get Tk800 for one maund of dried paddy. But in this season, I am selling wet Boro paddy at Tk850 per maund," said Shahidul.

Abdul Halim, a wholesale buyer in Sherpur upazila of the district, said he bought paddy at Ronobagha Haat and other markets in Nandigram and supplied it to different areas across the country including Pabna.

He said the quality of paddy this year was good and the price was higher than in the previous season.

"In the last season, the highest price we paid for dried paddy was Tk750 per maund. But we have been buying wet Boro paddy at Tk900 per maund from the very beginning of the season. Considering the current market, the dried paddy will cost Tk1,000 per maund," said Abdul.

The Department of Agricultural Extension said that the Boro paddy was cultivated on 3.65 crore bighas of land in 64 district. The authority previously set a target of growing 3.06 crore tonnes of paddy, but now they are expecting to get an extra 1.5 crore maunds of paddy in total, unless some disaster strikes.

Nandigram Agriculture Officer Adnan Babu said farmers will get an extra 1 maund of paddy per bigha on average in 1.52 lakh bighas of land cultivated in the upazila.

Meanwhile, Idris Ali, a farmer in Singra upazila in Natore, said the cutting of crops in the Singra Bil area has just started. The farmers there got 22 maunds of paddy per bigha.

Idris also hoped that 22 maunds of paddy will be harvested per bigha on average throughout the district if no disaster occurs.