Farmers and DAE officials in Rangpur are hoping for a bumper harvest of Boro rice in the region. Photo: BSS

By Md Mamun Islam
 
RANGPUR, April 11, 2026 (BSS) - Exceeding the set cultivation target, enthusiastic farmers and Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) officials are hoping for a bumper harvest of Boro rice in the Rangpur agricultural region this season.
 
Meanwhile, the frequent rainfalls in recent days are acting as a tonic for the growing young Boro rice plants, significantly reducing the irrigation stress and cultivation costs for farmers. 
 
As a result, the Boro rice plants are growing splendidly in the favorable weather conditions, giving the crop fields a lush green appearance and predicting a bumper yield of the major cereal crop this season across the region.
 
With the necessary support from the government to make the intensive Boro rice cultivation programme a success, farmers in this region have surpassed the set target and brought more land under its cultivation despite crop diversification. 
 
"Farmers in all five districts of Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari of the region are busy tending to their beautifully grown young Boro rice plants," Deputy Director of the DAE's Rangpur region Krishibid Md Shirajul Islam told BSS. 
 
Earlier, the DAE had set an all-time record target of producing 23,08,715 tonnes of clean Boro rice (34,63,0672 tonnes of paddy) from 5,09,094 hectares of land for Rangpur agricultural region this season. 
       
Enthusiastic farmers have finally cultivated Boro rice on a total of 5,05,235 hectares of land, 101 hectares or 0.02 percent more than the target set in the region. 
 
Harvest of Boro rice will begin next month.
 
Krishibid Sirajul Islam said, "If the weather is favorable in the next couple of months, farmers will get a super bumper harvest of Boro rice, as the young rice seedlings are currently growing well across the region."
 
The DAE and other agriculture-related organisations and institutions are working relentlessly to ensure smooth irrigation, supply of fuels, fertilisers and electricity and other facilities to farmers to make the Boro rice farming programme successful.
 
To enhance Boro rice yield at lower costs reducing lifting of underground water, a target has been fixed to bring 1,00,839 hectares of Boro rice croplands under the Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) irrigation method. 
 
Farmers have already brought 12,452 hectares of land under AWD irrigation method as the process continues across the region.
 
Besides, farmers have already brought 3,69,140 hectares of Boro rice crop field under use of compost fertilisers against the targeted 50,920 hectares of land and 3,87,485 hectares under use of balanced fertilisers against the targeted 3,05,517 hectares of land.
 
In addition, farmers have so far brought 3,66,500 hectares of Boro rice field under the perching method against the targeted 5,09,195 hectares and 780 hectares of land under the light trap methods of pests management against the targeted 10,240 hectares of land.
 
Talking to BSS, farmers Yasin Ali, Azizul Islam and Munir Hossain of village Najirdigar in Rangpur Sadar said they have put maximum efforts to take care of their growing Boro rice plants on crop fields to get bumper production this season.
 
Mokhlesur Rahman of Osmanpur village in Badarganj upazila of Rangpur thanked the government for ensuring uninterrupted supply of fertilizers, pesticides, electricity and other facilities to farmers to make the Boro rice cultivation programme a success.