Dense fog damaging boro seedlings
The ongoing cold wave and foggy weather is causing damage to boro seedbeds, much to the worry of farmers in the district.
Boro seedlings are turning whitish or yellowish due to the adverse weather and production may be hampered if it continues for long, said farmers in different villages.
"My 21-day-old BR-28 seedlings have turned yellowish due to severe cold and fog for the last few days. We will have to suffer great loss if our seedlings are damaged totally,” said Abdul Goni, 45, a farmer at Rajpur village in Sadar upazila.
Taher Ali, 52, another farmer of the same village, said, “I cultivated boro seedlings on 20 decimal of land. If the seedlings are totally damaged I will not be able to cultivate boro this season.”
Habibur Rahman, chairman of Mogholhat union parishad in Sadar upazila said the boro farmers in his union became worried as daylong dense fog coupled with severe cold affected their seedlings.
"My boro seedlings on 40 decimal land are becoming yellow as they are not getting adequate sun due to dense fog and cold,” said Khitish Chandra Barmon, 48, a farmer at Mogholhat village.
The Department of Agriculture Extension in Lalmonirhat has set a target of cultivating boro on 66 thousand hectares of land including high yielding varieties on 41 thousand hectares, hybrid on 12 thousand hectares and local varieties on 13 thousand hectares.
Farmers begin preparation of seedbeds in mid-November.
"My office has received reports that boro seedlings in many areas are turning yellowish due to dense fog and severe cold. We, however, hope that boro cultivation will not be affected much as the temperature is rising," said Lalmonirhat Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer Mohammad Nuruzzaman.
He suggested covering the seedbeds with polythene to save them from cold and fog.
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