Jhalakathi has had a bumper Boro harvest, and cutting is now under way. With yields better than last year, farmers see the prospect of a profit, and prices in the market are also good, bringing smiles to the district's farmers.

According to the Jhalakathi office of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), a cultivation target of 13,870 hectares was set for the district. Of this, the Boro targets were 1,013 hectares of hybrid and 5,005 hectares of high-yielding varieties (HYV) in Sadar upazila, 971 hectares of hybrid and 6,076 hectares of HYV in Nalchity, 145 hectares of hybrid and 265 hectares of HYV in Rajapur, and 171 hectares of hybrid and 224 hectares of HYV in Kathalia.

As in every year, farmers planted more than the target. The production targets were listed as 5,277.7 for hybrid and 20,521 for HYV in Sadar upazila, 5,058.9 for hybrid and 24,912 for HYV in Nalchity, 755.45 for hybrid and 1,086.5 for HYV in Rajapur, and 890.91 for hybrid and 918.4 for HYV in Kathalia; the office gives these figures in hectares.

The report also states that, for hybrid and HYV together on 73,290 hectares, the district's Boro production target was set at 307,818 tonnes.

According to the agriculture department, yields have exceeded 6 tonnes per hectare. At the start of this season Boro paddy is selling at Tk 900 a maund in local markets.

Abdullah Al Mamun, deputy director of the DAE in Jhalakathi, said that with the target met and a bumper harvest this year, Jhalakathi's Boro rice will meet the district's needs and also be sold in local markets in neighbouring districts.

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