Most of the Boro rice has been harvested, and this year the harvest was almost complete before the nor'westers (kalbaishakhi) struck, Shykh Seraj reports. In some areas late-planted rice is still being cut, but very little remains. Agricultural mechanisation played a big role in the rapid harvest despite the coronavirus situation; both last year and this year, farmers were able to benefit from machines.
The mechanisation project
The government has taken up a Tk 3,020 crore farm mechanisation project with its own funds. Harvesting and other farm machinery is being given to farmers with subsidies of 50 to 70 percent depending on the region.
- Last year 1,240 combine harvesters were deployed to cut rice.
- This year another 1,380 went into the fields, bringing the total to 2,620 harvesters in operation.
- A total of 789 reapers are also working.
Despite the labour shortage, rice is being harvested quickly, and lower production costs are making farmers more profitable.
Source: Shykh Seraj, Hridoye Mati O Manush. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.
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