Country's Boro production likely to increase by three times

BSS, Dhaka

Country's Boro production is likely to rise by nearly three times through cultivating the super hybrid or SL-8H over the current yield coming from the High Yielding Variety (HYV) like BR-28 and 29 and the hybrid as well.
Officials of Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) told BSS here on Monday that the per hectare production of HYV from the BR-28 and 29 varieties is almost 4.50- 5.0 tonnes within 135-140 days while that from the super hybrid or SL-8H will be around 12-12.50 tonnes during the same period.
Even the production of super hybrid rice is also likely to be 3-4 tonnes more than that from the other hybrid varieties available in the local market. Now the production of local hybrid is maximum 7.50-8.0 tonnes a hectare, they said.
Rafiqul Islam, a farmer of village Gokulnagar under Maheshpur upazila of Jenidah district, said that he reaped around 120 mounds of paddy by cultivating super hybrid variety on an acre of land during the last Boro season. Whereas, he said, the yield of existing HYV is only 54-55 maunds.
In view of such prospects, BADC imported 40 kgs seed from the Philippines in 2005-06 and introduced the super hybrid SL-8H cultivation in Jessore, Comilla and Mymensingh farm regions.
In 2006-07, BADC conducted a three-year trial production of the variety at Dattangar seed production farm in Jenidah and Madhupur in Tangail, where the yield was around 12-12.50 tonnes per hectare.
Now, the officials said, the BADC has already started seed production in its two farms following the success of the three- year trial production.
Manager (Farm) of the Seed Production Farm Division under the BADC AHM Monirul Haque Naqvi said, "such a higher production from this variety will ensure food security side by side with reducing production cost in the greater benefit of the farmers."