Farmers in Singra, Natore, are growing Boro rice by synchronised ("somoloy") cultivation to raise yields. Raising seedlings in trays, part of spreading modern technology, lowers costs, and because it eases labour shortages and saves time, farmers' interest is growing. The method produces about 33 maunds a bigha. Under the upazila agriculture office's supervision, 50 acres were cultivated this way for the first time this year.

Natore Deputy Commissioner Md. Abu Naser Bhuiyan inaugurated the harvest of the synchronised Boro block demonstration at Baluvora, Singra municipality, at 11am on Tuesday, 9 May. The event was chaired by Md. Abdul Wadud, deputy director of DAE Natore, with Superintendent of Police Md. Saifur Rahman, acting Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md. Al Imran and upazila vice-chairman Kamrul Hasan Kamran as special guests.

According to the upazila agriculture office, the first 50 acres of synchronised cultivation saved labour, fertiliser and seed and produced higher yields.

Farmer A. Razzak said he had never seen the method before and grew Boro this way for the first time under the agriculture office's supervision; if yields are good, farmers' interest will grow. Upazila agriculture officer Agriculturist Md. Selim Reza said rice production must rise to feed the population, and synchronised cultivation spreads modern technology while cutting production costs and saving time, making it possible to produce one maund of rice per decimal.

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