Ploughing with cattle and the wooden plough has almost disappeared. Tilling land with power tillers and tractors has become popular instead, because it allows more land to be cultivated in less time. But in Jagannathpur, Sunamganj, a farmer has caused a stir by ploughing his land with a horse.

Boro cultivation has been in full swing in every haor of the upazila since the start of the month of Poush. For the past few days, land preparation, ploughing and transplanting of rice seedlings have been under way. Ignoring the bitter cold, farmers are busy cultivating their land; in some places owners are working the land themselves, and elsewhere owners are having labourers do it.

"This time more land is being cultivated in Jagannathpur. We are encouraging farmers to cultivate their land and they are being given government support, which has encouraged them to farm more land. I have also heard that many people are having their land ploughed with horses," said upazila agriculture officer Shawkat Osman Majumder.

He said about 20,000 hectares were being cultivated in Jagannathpur this season, and that "if nature is favourable, 72,000 tonnes of rice will be produced".

Based on a UNB report.

Source: Dhaka Tribune. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.