The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has introduced a rice seedling transplanter machine in village Thakurpara of Sadar upazila here for transplantation of Boro rice seedlings and mechanisation of agriculture.
Deputy Commissioner Dr. Chitralekha Nazneen launched Boro rice seedling transplantation using a rice seedling transplanter in a function arranged on the occasion on Thursday afternoon as the chief guest.
Deputy Director of the DAE for Rangpur Agriculturist Md. Obaidur Rahman Mondal was present as a special guest.
Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer Agriculturalist Tanya Akhter, its Extension Officer Agriculturist Sumaiya Akhter, Sub-assistant Agriculture Officer Parimal Chandra Sarker and local farmers also spoke.
Agriculturist Obaidur Rahman Mondal said local farmers will get benefits of transplantation of Boro rice seedlings on their crop lands using rice transplanter machines during the Boro season.
Transplantation of Boro seedlings using rice transplanter machines allows farmers to cover more land area in less time with less labour, reducing burden, achieving uniform spacing and plant density and placing the desired number of seedlings.
"Rice transplanter machines ensure uniform depth of transplanted seedlings that recover fast and vigorously to ensure healthier and faster growth of tender plants and increase 20 percent Boro rice yield and reduce farming cost by 20 percent," Mondal said.
"Land preparation, transplantation of Boro rice seedlings and harvest of rice are expensive and time-consuming operations for successful rice cultivation as labour cost accounts the biggest input cost for Boro rice production," she added.
The chief guest stressed on making the best use of rice seedling transplanter machines to enhance Boro rice production at reduced costs under the changed climatic conditions to ensure national food security.
"Mechanisation of agricultural activities has become crucial as industrialisation, migration of agricultural labourers to other jobs and high labour wages have become bigger threats for sustainable rice production and food security," she added.
