Boro farmers harvest paddy in advance amid forecast of cyclone ‘Asani’

Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has advised boro farmers of Patuakali to harvest their paddy before the due time as there is a forecast of cyclone “Asani” under the influence of low pressure in the Bay of Bengal.

The farmers are busy harvesting their hard-earned crops as per the instructions issued by the agriculture department. The DAE has asked the farmers to harvest the paddy, which is 80 percent matured.

According to the Patuakhali DAE, boro has been cultivated on 16,970 hectares of land in six upazilas of Patuakhali district this year, with a target of 84,512 metric tonnes of boro paddy.

Due to the good price, farmers of Patuakhali are inclined towards boro cultivation and the cultivation has increased 26 times in the last five years in Patuakhali. In 2018, boro was cultivated only on 640 hectares of land.

AKM Mohiuddin, deputy director of the Patuakhali DAE, said boro farmers have been advised to harvest paddy quickly due to low pressure in the Bay.

Abdur Rahim Khan, a farmer from Sharikkhali village of Patuakhali Sadar upazila, said he has cultivated boro on 16 acres of land this year. Paddy is now being harvested upon the advice of the DAE. But it would have been better to cut the paddy after a couple of weeks, he said.

Barek Khan, a farmer in the same area, said he cultivated boro on nine acres of land this year and the paddy is still not matured enough.

“But if the paddy is not harvested before the cyclone, I might face huge loss,” Barek said.

Abdul Awal, deputy assistant agriculture officer of DAE of Sadar upazila, said that after harvesting aman paddy, farmers in the area set up seedbeds in January and planted boro paddy in February. In May, farmers collect boro paddy.

“But this year, we are advising the farmers to harvest boro paddy in advance as there is a possibility of a cyclone,” he said.