Aus seedbeds on 8,828 hectares of land in Sylhet division

SYLHET, May 12: With a target to bring larger areas under Aus farming in Sylhet division in the Kharif season, the farmers in many areas are busy in preparing seedbeds. It would be completed in weeks with a target of 8,828 hectares of land.
So far seedbed had been done on 5,868 hectares of landing the region, an official at the DAE said. It includes 2,729 hectares in Sylhet against targeted 3,330 hectares, 1246 hectares in Moulvibazar against targeted 2520 hectares while in Habiganj it had been done on 1205 hectares as the target at 2320 hectares in Habiganj. In Sunamganj seedbed had already been set on 688 hectares although the target was 658 hectares.
An official at the DAE informed a programme has been taken up to bring 174,824 hectares of land in the four districts under Aus cultivation. The area includes 65,703 hectares in Sylhet, 49,809 hectares in Moulvibazar, 46,466 hectares in Habiganj and 12,846 hectares of land in Sunamganj district.
The total target of production has been set at 440,807 tonnes of rice, the official added. It includes 1,138 tonnes from Hybrid and 434,250 tonnes from high yielding varieties while 5,420 tonnes would be from the Local varieties.
It is stateable here that the DAE in the last year had revised the division's target from its initial target of 133,028 hectares to 176,919 hectares in a bid to recoup the loss of Boro paddy by the repeated and early floods. However, the total Aus paddy cultivated area stood at 170,782 hectares that season.
Contacted, Md. Altabur Rahman, Additional Director of the DAE's Sylhet division, informed disbursement of the incentive among listed poor farmers for Aus cultivation has been completed in the division. Earlier the government had sanctioned Tk 527,17,500 in assistance for the poor farmers in the division in a bid to help them cultivating Aus paddy during the current season.
Under the special incentive programme, 33,000 bighas of land are to be cultivated against the last year's 25,700 bighas. It includes 10,000 bighas in each of Sylhet, Moulvibazar and Habiganj districts and 3,000 bighas in Sunamganj district.
The total amount includes, Tk 159,75000 for each of Sylhet, Moulvibazar and Habiganj districts while Tk 4792,500 is for Sunamganj district. For each bigha land a farmer is being supplied with 5.0 kgs of seed, 20 kg urea, 10 kgs of DAP, 10 kgs of MoP fertiliser, the source informed.
Besides, Tk 11641,115 had been spent in incentive for the marginal farmers in the three districts for cultivating Nerika paddy during the season. It includes, Tk 1887,750 for 900 farmers of Sylhet, Tk 2517,000 for Tk 1200 farmers in Moulvibazar and Tk 7236,375 for 3450 farmers in Habiganj district.
The amount is being spent for seed, fertilisers and in irrigation assistance. Besides, separate amount would be given for clearing weeds, the official added.
[email protected]