S DILIP ROY, Lalmonirhat

Boro seedlings in seedbeds across many areas of the Rangpur region are suffering due to a persistent cold wave and dense fog. Farmers are struggling to save their seedbeds by covering them with polythene and spraying medicines, and they are now worried about recovering their production costs.

During visits to various locations in Lalmonirhat Sadar, Kurigram Sadar, and Rangpur’s Gangachara upazila on Friday and Saturday, this correspondent observed many farmers re-sowing boro seeds in their fields as their seedbeds had been damaged by the cold weather and dense fog.

Farmers in five districts -- Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Rangpur, and Nilphamari -- have prepared seedbeds on 26,000 hectares of land. The target is to cultivate boro paddy on 508,978 hectares, with a production goal of 1,781,423 tonnes of rice this season, said the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Rangpur.

Mansur Ali, 55, a farmer from Sakoya village in Lalmonirhat’s Aditmari upazila, said he prepared a boro seedbed on 15 decimals of land, but a portion of it was damaged due to the cold weather.

“I sprayed pesticides and fungicides several times over the last 12 days to save my seedbed from the cold, but the seedlings are still dying,” he said.

Suresh Chandra Sen, 65, a farmer from Nabdiganj village in Rangpur Sadar, said he had prepared a seedbed for seedlings on 12 decimals of land to cultivate boro paddy on six bighas. He said about fifty percent of the seedlings have turned yellowish and been damaged.

“I sowed 30kg of boro seeds on 15 decimals of land, but 20 percent of the seedlings have been damaged due to the cold and fog,” said Saher Ali, 50, from Durgapur village in Kurigram’s ulipur upazila. Obaidur Rahman Mandal, additional director of DAE in the Rangpur region, said boro seedlings in some villages are affected by the severe cold weather.

“We believe they will recover as the weather improves,” he said. “Farmers are advised to water seedbeds at night, cover them with polythene, and use proper fertiliser,” he said, claiming that the production target will not be hindered as such situations arise in the northern districts every winter.