The cold has begun to ease in Dinajpur and temperatures are rising. As it eases, farmers have gone out into the fields to transplant boro seedlings. Farmers and farm labourers are at work across the fields, and in various parts of Dinajpur they were seen pulling up seedlings, transplanting them and ploughing the land.

Boro transplanting usually begins in the southern part of Dinajpur district by the end of the Bengali month of Poush. But this year the cold and fog were heavier than in other years, and many boro seedbeds in the district turned pale and were damaged. So farmers could not transplant boro seedlings even though they wanted to, because seedlings grow little in cold and fog. For the past four days, however, the cold has been easing little by little and temperatures rising, and as soon as it warmed up a bit farmers went out to the fields.

Although transplanting has begun in the south of the district, farmers in the north have not yet started.

On Sunday (22 January), boro transplanting was seen on a wide scale in Ambari Balupara and Hugli Para in Birampur upazila and in Puntri, Musa Shaha and Amtali in Chirirbandar upazila. Farmers and labourers were busy pulling seedlings from the seedbeds, transplanting them and ploughing.

Achim Uddin, a farmer from Ambari Balupara village in Birampur upazila, said he usually has his boro seedlings transplanted by this time, but this year, because of the heavy cold, he started a little late.

Ekramul Haque of the Puntri area of Chirirbandar upazila said he will grow boro paddy on seven bighas of land. He went out to the fields late this year because of the cold and fog. But since fertiliser and pesticide are being supplied on time and at low prices, he does not see the slight delay as a problem.

Farm labourer Abdul Malek said boro transplanting has begun a week late this time. Now landowners are calling for workers from all sides.

According to the Dinajpur office of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), the target for boro cultivation in the district this season is 1,71,120 hectares. To meet it, seedbeds are being prepared on 9,437 hectares.

Md Nuruzzaman, DAE deputy director, said farmers took a little time to go out to the fields because of the extreme cold and dense fog. Temperatures are rising, and the fields will soon be filled with transplanted boro seedlings. Farmers got good prices for aman paddy, and boro cultivation will exceed the target, he said, adding that there is no shortage of fertiliser or pesticide.

Md Asaduzzaman, a weather assistant who is the acting officer in charge of the meteorological office, said temperatures in Dinajpur have been rising gradually since the 19th, and the cold and fog are easing.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.