Boro cultivation has brought smiles to the farmers of Madaripur district with a bumper yield this season.
During a recent visit to different parts of the district, this correspondent found that farmers are busy harvesting boro paddy.
Siraj Chokdar, 45, a farmer in Lakshiganj village of Sadar upazila, said, “I have brought several bighas of land under boro cultivation. This year's yield is quite good due to the favorable weather. The current price is also good – Tk 1,100 per maund. But if the price of paddy goes down, the farmer will lose,” he said.
Read more: Bumper yield of Boro paddy brings smiles to Chapainawabganj farmers
Merzon Khalasi, 50, another farmer of the same area, said that due to the increase in the price of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation and labour costs the production cost has shot up to Tk 800-900 to produce one maund paddy.
Santosh Chandra, deputy director of District Agriculture Extension Department, said that 33,500 hectares of land have been cultivated in five upazilas of the district this year.
Farmers have already harvested 80 percent of Boro paddy in the area and they are expected to benefit due to the bumper paddy yield and good market price of paddy, he added.
Read more: 70% Boro paddy of haor areas harvested: Agriculture Ministry.