Different varieties of paddy in the same bunch, hands on the heads of farmers in Howre of Kishoreganj

Boro paddy harvesting will start in full swing in Haor of Kishoreganj after a week. Preparations are now underway throughout the hour. However, the farmers who brought seeds of 88 varieties of rice from Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) and cultivated them, are not happy. are worried Those who cultivated this type of rice did not eat only one type of rice, they saw different types of rice. Among several varieties of paddy in the same bunch, some are ripe, some are semi-ripe, and some are not budded. Farmers do not know how to cut these paddy. If you try to harvest ripe rice, half-ripe rice will be wasted. Again, if you wait for half ripeness, the ripe ones will fall off.
Abnormalities that have appeared in the cultivation of Bri-Dhan 88 in Haor of Karimganj, Tarail, Itna, Mithamin, Ashtagram and Bajitpur of the district. This picture is more in Karimganj and Itna Upazila. Farmers are crying after cultivating this paddy. The farmers alleged that they suffered due to the addition of Bri-Dhan 88 in the seeds supplied by BADC.
Last Friday, this reporter talked to some farmers who cultivated Bri-Dhan 88 in Barahaor of Karimganj district. Habibur Rahman (50), a farmer of Madan village of Gunadhar union, was sitting next to his paddy field in the hot afternoon sun. He said, ’13 kani (35 percent kani) was doing 88 paddy of BADC. Rice is not recognizable at first. Even half of my food is not 88 paddy. The rest of the paddies are of four or five varieties. Kunuda has ripened, milk has come from Kunuda’s jug. Kunuda’s disciple Ahan is also raw. How do I cut the rice? Konda Kadbam. If Paknada was cut, the raw material would not be cut. Cultivating debt. At least 400 maunds of paddy in oiloil. Ahan 100 Man Fayyam or doubt. He will give me this compensation.
Talked there with Omar Siddique (40), a farmer of Khairat village. He cultivated Bri-Dhan 88 in 15 Bigha of land. It is the Agriculture Department’s Demonstration Farm, Seed Village Exhibition. The Department of Agriculture Extension allowed him to cultivate this exhibition under the ‘Flood Reconstruction Emergency Assistance Project (FRIP)’. The seeds were supplied by the Department of Agricultural Extension. Same situation here. Instead of eating only Bri-Dhan 88, there are different varieties of rice. Omar Siddique fears whether he will be able to take even half of the rice home.
Akhter Mia (65) and Zamir Uddin (55) of Madan village, farmers who cultivated boro in Barhaor, also complained about the same. They said that those who cultivated Bri-Dhan 88, the mixture entered the food of all. As a result, almost everyone will be affected. Those who have farmed on loan will have to sit on their way. This is the situation of many others.
At least 20 assistant agricultural officers at the field level of the Haor upazilas of the district, on condition of anonymity, gave this reporter the impression that such a situation has occurred in 10,000 hectares of paddy fields. In general, those who have planted BADC Bri-Dhan 88 seeds have more or less the same food condition.
According to farmers, they purchased paddy seeds from local dealers and sub-dealers authorized by BADC. The seeds of 88 varieties of BADC were a mixture of different varieties of rice, due to which different varieties of rice were grown in the field. It is ripening at different times. There are three-four types of paddy in one bunch. They are disoriented after seeing this unusual picture of the food. Farmers are not getting any solution despite running around the agriculture and seed office. Some say that BADC was supposed to supply quality seeds to contract farmers but this time the seeds were adulterated. And the farmer is paying the price of that adulteration.
According to the sources of the District Agriculture Extension Directorate, Boro rice has been cultivated in the entire district on 1 lakh 68 thousand hectares of land. Out of this, 88 bri-paddy has been cultivated in 18 thousand 560 hectares of land. The unusual yield of this variety has been seen in several areas including Karimganj, Etna. The Agriculture Department has informed the concerned authorities about the matter.
Deputy Director of Kishoreganj Agricultural Extension Department. Sadiqur Rahman said, he heard the problem from the field level and sent the agricultural officials there. They also confirmed the mixture in the seeds of Bri-Dhan 88. In all those lands, some paddy is ripe, some paddy is semi-ripe and some paddy is unripe. Some rice did not sprout at all. Means there was a mixture of different varieties of rice in a packet of bri rice 88 seeds. This will have some impact on Boro yield, although not a major impact overall. Many farmers will be affected especially at the individual level. How much land or how many farmers have been affected is being listed. The matter has also been reported to BADC.
BADC (Seed Marketing) says that they have supplied about 370 tonnes of bri-paddy seeds of 88 varieties at the beginning of the season for Boro cultivation. Later another 318 tonnes of seeds were supplied. According to the organization, seeds come to them from various sources. After receiving the complaint, the exact location of the problem, where the seeds came from, is being investigated.
However, on speaking to BADC Deputy Director (Seed Production) Harunur Rashid, he claimed that due to natural mutation, differences can occur in the same crop. Apart from this, such a situation may arise if there is deficiency in fertilizer and irrigation management, planting older seedlings or defects in the seed source.
Mohammad Zainal Abedin, Deputy Director (Seed Marketing) of BADC said, “We also went to the field and found some such problems. The matter has been reported to higher authorities. We tried to find out from where such seeds went to the farmers. If any dealer has given fake seeds in BADC packets to farmers, we will investigate and take action. And if such seeds have come from any of our own sources, especially from places where BADC procures seeds, then we will take strict action in this regard. We have started an investigation. We are looking at the matter.
Source: Prothom Alo Bangla