Boro cultivation facing setback due to salinity

Bagerhat farmers worried as seedlings on vast land damaged

17 December 2009, 17:00 PM

Unb, Bagerhat

The target of boro cultivation may not be achieved in the district in the current season as the seedlings on a vast of tract of land have been damaged due to high salinity and scarcity of water. Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources said a scheme has been taken up to bring 50,000 hectares of land under boro cultivation in the district. Of the total area, hybrid paddy will be cultivated on 17,000 hectares of land while high yielding variety on 30,000 hectares and local variety on 3,000 hectares with an output target of 5.5 metric tons of rice per hectare. Accordingly, seedbeds have been prepared on 2,331 hectares of land in the district. But farmers apprehend that the production may fall short of the target as the seedlings on many seedbeds are turning yellowish after growing 4-5 inches high due to soil salinity and water crisis. While visiting different areas, it was found that a vast tract of land was affected by saline water that entered the cropland during cyclone Aila and remained stagnant for a long period. Besides, farmers are not getting sufficient normal water due to fish rearing by erecting dams on canals by a section of local influential people. The target of transplanted aman cultivation also could not be achieved in the district this year as 23,140 hectares of land remained uncultivated due to soil salinity and insufficient rain, DAE sources said.