Sachchida Nanda Dey, Asashuni (Satkhira)

Boro paddy has been cultivated for the first time on saline land in Anulia Union of Asashuni Upazila.

It seems that the rice production will be quite good. Shahinul Islam, a farmer from Kakabsia village of Anulia Union, said that for the past few years, we have been severely affected by the virus caused by the Bagda shrimp. Many fish farmers in the area have left the area and are turning to other professions.

A few of us have made preparations to plant summer rice. This year, rice has been cultivated on about three hundred bighas of land. The rice has been good. If we can provide the right fertilizer and water, we are hoping to get 25 to 30 maunds of rice per bigha. Asafur Rahman from the same village said that we have experimentally cultivated Ayash Rice 28, Shakti-2, Black Big Miniket and 86 rice. The condition of the paddy is very good. Ruhul Quddus, Abdullah Gazi, Khair Gazi of Kakabasia village said that Boro paddy has been cultivated on about 300 bighas of land in Kakabasia, Chechua, and Anulia of Manipur block.

At a time when the people of the area are suffering from fish farming, they have chosen paddy cultivation as an alternative. But a group is trying to damage the paddy crop by removing salt water. If the crop is good this year, paddy will be cultivated on most of the land instead of brackish water fish farming in the future, he said.

Ashasuni Upazila Agriculture Officer and agriculturist Shuvrangshu Shekhar Das said that Boro has been cultivated on 9,335 hectares of land in the upazila this year.

Out of this, 1,032 hectares of land in Anulia union are being cultivated. So far, no complaints have been received about the supply of fertilizer. If we can apply water, fertilizer, and pesticides properly and if the weather is favorable, we are expecting a bumper harvest. Caption: Scenes of field after field being ploughed in Anuliya.