An excellent yield of ‘Aloron’ paddy during the current Aus season in
Barguna so far has sent an upbeat message to the farmers about its
bumper production.
In the district where 90 per cent farmers could not cultivate Aus
paddy this season for the onslaught of cyclonic storm ‘Mahasen’, large
scale production of the high-yielding ‘Aloron’ paddy variety could
largely help cover the shortfall in paddy.
Whereas farmers in the coastal belt, including Barguna, are yet to get
back on the normal footing from the losses they suffered during
cyclones Sidr and Aila, ‘Mahasen’ dealt them a further blow by
damaging huge Aus seedbeds.
But the boom in production of ‘Aloron’ paddy has made the farmers
confident about its bumper yield, enabling them to recover the losses
largely.
Now they are reaping the crop.
Farmers at Parboti village in Barguna sadar union said taking all
risks, some 37 farmers cultivated ‘Aloron’ collectively on 30.70 acres
of land. They are now hopeful of a bumper production of the paddy.
They are getting 80 to 90 maunds of paddy per acre.
Usually, they do not get more than 30 maunds of paddy per acre from
other varieties.
Farmer Mostafa Khan said usually they used to cultivate one crop in
their land and did not get good production but they are now getting
yield by double by cultivating ‘Aloron’ paddy.
At the initiative of BRAC, a programme on agriculture and food
security is being implemented simultaneously in 50 upazilas of 12
districts from July 2012.
This programme is now expanding and its activities will reach all the
64 districts by 2015.
In Barguna, 3,160 farmers in 81 villages are cultivating ‘Aloron’
paddy on 1826.24 acres during the aush season.
BRAC’s Agriculture and Food Security Programme sources said Tk 9,000
is given to each farmer to cultivate ‘Aloron’ paddy.
BRAC regional manager Goutam Biswas said under the programme they are
encouraging each family of the country to work for attaining food
security.
He said initially seeds of ‘Aloron’ paddy were brought from China.
Now scientists at the BRAC research centre have been successful in
producing the seeds by using the Chinese technology.
Lutfor Rahman, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture
Extension, Barguna said Aus cultivation was totally affected in the
district due to natural calamity.
The farmers are now upbeat by good harvest of ‘Aloron’ paddy.
He said further seeds of ‘Aloron’ paddy cannot be preserved.
The farmers have to buy the seeds anew every year. –UNB, Barguna
