Boro cultivation is going on in full swing in Bagerhat's Kachua upazila, the largest paddy-producing zone of the district.

Local farmers are busy planting seedlings of Boro paddy despite the biting cold.

Growers said they are a bit worried this season because they will have to spend more than they did last season for cultivation as prices of almost everything have gone up.

Growers say they had to procure paddy seeds, fuel fertilisers and other essentials at high prices. Wages of farm labourers have also been increased, adding to their woes.

This year price of each kilogramme of hybrid variety seeds leaped to Tk 380 to TK 450 from Tk 350 to Tk 400 last year, while a farm worker's wage rose to Tk 700 to Tk 800, compared to Tk 500 to Tk 600 last season, they said.

Each kilogram of hybrid seeds can cover only 15 decimals of land, making the additional cost a further burden for many cultivators.

However, farmers are quite optimistic about getting a good yield, if the weather remains favourable during the peak cultivation period.

Farmers said Boro cultivation started around three weeks ago and will continue for a few weeks more.

While visiting Kachua, Maghia, Charkathi, Sangdia and Afra areas recently, this correspondent saw farmers busy either preparing their lands or sowing Boro seedlings.

Farmer Lalu Bali of Afra village said, "I've been continuing paddy plantation work with only two labourers as I have to pay at least Tk 700 to each."

If we gets adequate irrigation water on time, I am hopeful of getting a good harvest this season, Lalu said.

Sources at the upazila agriculture office said so far about 20 to 25 percent of sowing have been completed.

Kachua Upazila Agriculture Officer Akash Bairagi said a total of 7,609 hectares of land in the upazila have been brought under Boro and Ufshi paddy cultivation.

Of them, hybrid Boro paddy will be cultivated on 6,709 hectares land.

Agricultural officials play active roles in guiding farmers at every field, from preparing land to transplanting paddy seeds.