Peasants in Rangpur zone busy preparing Boro seedbeds

RANGPUR, Dec 18: The peasants in five districts under the Rangpur agriculture zone are passing busy time preparing Boro seedbeds.
While visiting different areas in the district this correspondent found that most of the farmers had already completed setting up seedbeds.
A number of growers said like previous years they faced problems with buying quality paddy seeds as low quality and sub-standard seeds flooded the local markets.
A section of dishonest traders were involved in such malpractices, they further said.
Apart from Rangpur district, many growers of Kurigram, Nilphamari, Gaibandha and Lalmonirhat under the agriculture region also expressed their dissatisfaction over low quality Boro seeds which might affect the production of the crop during the upcoming season.
Farmers said usually they try to complete preparing paddy seedbeds as early as possible to avoid intense cold weather and dense fog which cause serious harm to Boro seedbeds every year.
So they began preparing Boro seedbeds just after completion of the harvest of Aman paddy, they also said.
Maniruzzaman Milon, a farmer of Baldipukur on Mithapukur upazila of Rangpur, told the FE he already prepared 20 decimals of seedbeds. He is expecting quality seedlings for a better yield.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) office sources in Rangpur said farmers were trying their best to prepare seedbeds in a bid to get quality and mature seedlings for transplantation during peak period.
The department was also providing adequate assistances to the cultivators to make their efforts a success, sources further said.
The farmers can collect quality paddy seeds from the Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) and different companies, sources added.
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