41% paddy harvested in haor region until April 20: Ministry

Forty-one per cent paddy have been harvested until Wednesday in seven haor districts of the country, said the Ministry of Agriculture on Thursday.

According to the ministry, 38 per cent paddy harvested in Kishorganj,73 per cent in Netrakona, 29 per cent in Brahmanbnaria, 37 per cent in Sylhet, 36% in Moulvibazar, 25 per cent in Habiganj and 42 per cent in Sunamganj.

So far, crops on 9,700 hectares of land have been affected by recent flashfloods and heavy rains which is 1 per cent of the total cultivation (9, 50, 318 hectares of land), according to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).

Boro paddy was cultivated on 4,52,138 hectares of land in seven haor districts and 4,98,180 hectares of land in non-haor districts, said the DAE.

The government had directed the farmers to harvest 80% ripe crops considering the unvavourable weather in the region. The farmers were allocated sufficient numbers of combined harvester and reaper machines in these districts to assist them in cutting the crops in time, according to the Ministry.

A total of 1,700 combined harvesters and reaper machines are currently being used to harvest paddy in haor region and of them 1100 are local while 350 were brought from other districts, added the ministry.