RAJSHAHI, June 8: Farmers of Tanor Upazila here are passing miserable time to protect the late-season Boro paddy from the attack by current insects.
Along with the current insects, other insects are also attacking the Boro fields.
In a two shifting, the Boro crop is cultivated at Tanor. The Boro crop farmed in the first phase has already been harvested. But the crop under the second phase is waiting to be harvested.
Recently, a visit found spraying of poisons in the fields by the farmers. The paddy has developed black strips after the Cyclone Amphan hit. So the farmers are in concern.
Yet field supervisors of the agriculture office were seen advising the farmers on how to abort the attack.
Tanor Upazila is the main zone for paddy cultivation in the country. After meeting the local food deficits, paddy from Tanor is brought to country's other parts. Potato cultivation follows the paddy farming.
In the last few years, the farmers suffered a lot for getting not good prices of paddy.
The attack of the current insects is comparatively lower in the Boro fields which were sprayed of pesticides following the Cyclone Amphan.
Farmers Rafiqul Islam and Golam Rabbani of Jugisho Village and Robiul Islam of Chimna Village said, more or less, almost all the paddy fields have been attacked by the current insects.
Another farmer, Fazlur of Dhantoirh Village, said, for more than one time, he sprayed his two-bigha Boro crop but getting no result. "I took advice from the agriculture office. But their advice also did not work", he regretted.
"I applied insecticides one after another in my fields talking to the insecticide shopper. Lately poison was sprayed too."
He was echoed by farmer Kamruzaman of Pranpur Village. He said, "I've sprayed poison in my seven-bigha land, but got no result."
Upazila Agriculture Officer Shamimul Islam said a total of 13,100 hectres were brought under Boro cultivation at Tanor this year. Earlier, the advance Boro yielded good productions. These have already been brought to yards.
Yet the late-Boro crop farmed in the fields of potato has yet not been in the lifting or harvesting position.
He said. "Normally, the potato fields require a little bit of increased spraying," he pointed out.
It is because, he explained, the lately cultivated paddy fields become attacked largely by insects.
"We're continuing giving advice to the farmers about the current insects," he said, adding that despite this, farmers will get good yield and good prices.
