Farmers get free seeds, fertilizer in Kalai

Initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture, under the agricultural incentive programme to increase the production of Aman (Ufshi) paddy planted in the Kharif-2 season, free seeds and chemical fertilizers have been distributed among marginal farmers in Kalai Upazila of the district.

Organized by the Upazila Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), the incentives were distributed at a formal ceremony on the Upazila Parishad premises on Wednesday morning, where UNO Shamima Akhter Jahan was present as the chief guest.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Agriculturist Arun Chandra Roy, Upazila Family Planning Officer Mahmudul Hasan, Additional Agriculture Officer Mehedi Hasan, Agricultural Extension Officers Abid Abdullah and Jannatus Shakib and Upazila Assistant Public Health Engineer Al-Amin were also present at the ceremony.

According to the Kalai Upazila DAE sources, under this year’s incentive package, each of 2,150 farmers of the upazila has been provided 5 kg of high-yielding paddy seeds, 10 kg of DAP fertilizer, 10 kg of MOP fertilizer and other agricultural inputs free of cost for one bigha of land.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Agriculturist Arun Chandra Roy said, “The government is providing this incentive to farmers to increase their cultivation and production capacity in the Kharif season. This programme will continue in the future as well”. At that time, he gave guidance to the farmers on various technology-based agricultural techniques and crop management.

Upazila Executive Officer Shamima Akhter Jahan said that today's agricultural incentive distribution program is a real example of our government's farmer-friendly policy. The government is always by the side of the farmers of our country and is providing incentives at various times to increase production in the agricultural sector. With the aim of increasing the cultivation of Aman rice planted in the Kharif-2 season, today we are distributing free seeds and fertilizers among 2,150 small and marginal farmers of Kalai Upazila. We hope that through this incentive, farmers will get good yields on their land and become more economically self-reliant, and our country's food security will be strengthened.