Boro paddy cultivation in Rajshahi exceeds expectations, farmers reap benefits

The harvest and threshing of Boro paddy are set to kick off in earnest during the second month of the Bangla calendar, Joishtho. 

In Rajshahi, about 30% of the paddy has already been gathered by the farmers, said Umme Salma, training officer of the Department of Agricultural Extension, Rajshahi.

“This year, it will take a little more time to bring Boro cultivation home, and due to adverse weather, we have not heard about any major yield losses,” she added. 

Farmers have said that as there was a delay in harvesting winter crops, they harvested the Boro paddy later in the year than usual. 

On top of that the heatwave and lack of rainfall had affected the cultivation severely. 

The farmers in Rajshahi had worried that the cultivation would be severely impacted. 

However, despite these challenges, Boro paddy has been cultivated on more land than initially anticipated in the district, keeping farmers occupied as they bring in the grain.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, Rajshahi, Boro paddy production in Rajshahi has increased continuously in a decade. 

This year marks a milestone as the highest production target in a decade has been achieved.

In the current season, the target of Boro cultivation and production in 70,160 hectares of land was set at 346,070 metric tons of rice.

In comparison, the previous fiscal year (2022-23) targeted cultivation on 68,600 hectares, yielding 332,439 metric tons of rice. 

This represents a year-over-year increase of 1,560 metric tons in target and 13,631 metric tons in production.

Shafiqur Rahman, a Boro paddy farmer of Godagari upazila in Rajshahi, said he is cultivating Boro on 2.5 bighas of land this year. His land is comparatively in a higher place and hence the cost of irrigation was also expensive for him. 

Farmer Enamul Haque of Tilahari village in Mohanpur upazila of Rajshahi said the paddy yield was better this year than last year. “I was able to harvest my boro paddy earlier as the crops were ripened early. I am happy.”