Jaintapur (Sylhet ) Correspondent

The planting of Boro Ufshi rice seedlings through synchronized cultivation (Synchronize Cultivation) block demonstration through rice transplanter has been inaugurated in Jaintapur under Sylhet district under the agricultural incentive programme for the 2024-2025 financial year in the Rabi season.

The inauguration of this programme was held at Purba Bithrikhel village, Ward No. 1, Charikata Union No. 3, Jaintapur on Tuesday at 11 am arranged by Upazila Agricultural Extension Department.

Sylhet Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension Khoyer Uddin Mollah presided over and conducted by Upazila Agricultural Extension Officer Irfan Shah, Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate of Sylhet Mohammad Sher Mahbub Murad spoke as the chief guest at the inauguration ceremony.

In his speech as the chief guest, Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Sher Mahbub Murad said that the government has given more importance to agriculture to make the country self-sufficient in food. He said that in addition to government supervision in modern technology-based agriculture, he called on the concerned to work towards ensuring that farmers can gain scientific ideas about modern agriculture at the field level. During this time, he visited various blocks related to agriculture and talked to local farmers.

Jaintapur Upazila Agriculture Officer Shamima Akhter delivered the welcoming speech at the inaugural ceremony.

At this time, Sylhet District Department of Agriculture Extension Additional Deputy Director (Grains) Debal Sarkar, Jaintapur Upazila Upazila Executive Officer Umme Salik Rumaiya also spoke as special guests. 3no Charikata Union Chairman Sultan Karim, Sylhet District Workers' Party Joint Convener Altaf Hossain Belal, Nazrul Islam, Habibur Rahman, 1st Nijpat Union Assistant Agriculture Officer Shahab Uddin, Khadija Sultana, 2nd Jaintapur Delwar Hussain, 3rd Charikata Arunangsha, Samar Mohandhar, 4th Darvast Suyeb Ahmed, Saleh Ahmed, 5th Fatehpur Ishtiaq Ahmed, Jabed Khalil, 6th Chiknagul Tamanna Akhter and local farmers also attend the programme.

According to the Upazila Agriculture Office, Boro rice is being cultivated on 1,000 hectares of land in the upazila in the current season. Among them, Boro rice of the variety (Briri Dhan 92) is being cultivated in Jaintapur upazila through machine-planted leaves. This cultivation is done in three seasons: Aush, Aman and Boro.

Under the government agricultural incentive programme, local farmers of Purba Bhitrikhel, Charikata Union No. 3, Jaintapur upazila, Sylhet district, are sowing rice seeds in soil-filled trays. Boro rice seedlings are being planted on 50 acres of land with machines in a new level of simultaneous cultivation.

At this time, farmer Habibur Rahman of Bhitrikhel village said in his speech that it takes one liter of petrol to plant one bigha of land with a machine. It takes 40 to 45 minutes. Farmers are benefiting as the cost is comparatively much less.

Jaintapur Upazila Agriculture Officer Shamima Akhter said in her welcome speech, under the various incentive programs of the government, 50 acres of Briri rice 92 variety of Boro rice is being planted this time. Hybrid rice seedbeds have been planted in 4,500 trays. Fertilizer and pesticides along with cutting will be done by the government initiative.

In the speech of the president, Mohammad Khoer Uddin Molla, Deputy Director of the District Agricultural Extension Department, said, "The important thing is that Briri rice 92 is being cultivated in the agricultural field in our district in a synchronized manner. Farmers' money is wasted less and time is saved. All sowing, planting, and cutting are done mechanically through rice planters."