BADC Seed Farm in Barishal: Aman seedbeds on 38 acres of land damaged

A seed farm run by Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) in Barishal has failed to achieve Aman seed production target as cultivation in the farm at Lakutia in Babuganj upazila has been badly hampered due to the cyclonic storm Bulbul.

The cyclonic storm hit the country’s southern districts on the night of November 9.

The storm damaged Aman seedbeds on 38 acres of land of the farm set up by BADC, said Kishor Kumar Biswas, assistant director (AD) of Lakutia Seeds Production Farm in Barishal.

He further said in Aman planting season, their listed farmers collected the seeds from them and sown in their seedbeds.

Later, the growers planted the Aman seedlings in their crop fields and after some days, seedlings grew into flowering plants, which was damaged by the storm this year, said Kishor Kumar.

This time they targeted to produce 53 tonnes of Aman seeds but they can now get only 48 tonnes of seeds from the firm as Bulbul hit the seedbeds, said AD Kishor Kumar.

Prafulla Mahajan, a farmer of Gaila village in Agailjhara upazila, said the cyclonic storm damaged seedbeds on his one acre of land.

Md Aftabuddin, additional director of Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Barishal, said Aman cultivation has been hampered in the district hit by Bulbul.

Around 9,900 hectares of Aman paddy field in the district have been damaged by the storm, said Aftabuddin.