With the help of entrepreneurs of 6 upazilas of Nilphamari district, farmers have succeeded in planting rice seedlings through rice transplanters. A yard meeting was held on Monday at 11 am by the initiative of the Agriculture Department to spread the success of increasing the yield of rice from planted rice seedlings. Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Ghosh spoke as the chief guest in the courtyard meeting.
Nilphamari Sadar Upazila, Palashbari Union, Tarunibari village Dr. Directorate of Agricultural Extension. SM Abu Bakar Saiful Islam spoke in the chair, Upazila Agriculture Officer Atiq Ahmed, Additional Agriculture Officer Bakul Islam, District Agriculture Engineer Ujjal Kumar Kar, Deputy Assistant Agriculture Officer Prafulla Kumar Roy and others.
According to Khamar Bari sources, by making 18 entrepreneurs in 6 upazilas of Nilphamari district in 2023, rice seedlings were planted in Aush, Aman and Boro seasons using rice transplanter on 420 hectares of land. As a result of this, the rice producing farmers earned about one crore taka additional money by producing 331 metric tons of additional rice in the district. Which has been economically profitable. A large number of farmers came forward to adopt this technology. As the number of entrepreneurs in the district is increasing day by day, the area under mechanized paddy planting is also increasing. In 2024, 600 hectares of land has been set as a target for planting rice seedlings in 6 upazilas using rice transplanter machines. Among the 6 upazilas, Sadar, Kishoreganj and Dimla upazilas are particularly significant in the amount of mechanized paddy planting. Entrepreneurs have taken the initiative to expand their activities by forming district committees.
Rahim Basunia of Basuniapara of Charaikhola Union of Sadar Upazila said, entrepreneur Md. Mostafizur Rahman planted rice seedlings on my 80 bigha land through rice transplanter. Happy to get more yield in less time and less cost.
District Farm Mechanization Entrepreneurship Committee President Md. Mostafizur Rahman said that he and his team made machine-friendly seedlings for 1000 to 1200 taka and planted seedlings in 1 bigha of land with the help of machines. He also said that the deputy director of the district, agricultural engineers and agricultural officers, directorate of agricultural extension, Nilphamari have been giving them technical and other support in this activity. Their aim is to make mechanized saplings and spread mechanized planting activities widely in the district and beyond.
