RANGPUR, Nov 10, 2018 (BSS) – Harvesting of Transplanted Aman (T-Aman)
rice is getting momentum with excellent yield rate predicting bumper
production of the crop in Rangpur agriculture region this season.
Officials of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said farmers
have cultivated T-Aman rice on 6.03-lakh hectares of land exceeding the fixed
farming target on 5.94-lakh hectares by 9,292 hectares of land or 1.64
percent this season in the region.
“The farmers have already harvested T-Aman rice on 65,000 hectares of land
to produce 1.94-lakh tonnes of clean rice (2.91-lakh tonnes paddy) by
Friday,” said Horticulture Specialist of the DAE at its regional office
Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam.
The farmers are expecting a bumper production of T-Aman rice this time in
the region as they have achieved an excellent yield rate of 2.99 tonnes of
clean Aman rice per hectare on an average so far.
The DAE has fixed a target of producing 16.39-lakh tonnes of clean T-Aman
rice (24.58-lakh tonnes of paddy) from 5.94-lakh hectares of land with a
targeted yield rate of 2.76 tonnes of clean rice per hectare on an average of
this season in the region.
“However, we are expecting a bumper production of T-Aman rice this season
as farmers are getting excellent yield rate of 2.99 tonnes of rice per
hectare of the crop now at this initial stage of the harvesting process,”
Islam said.
Talking to BSS, farmers Abdul Baten, Milan Mian, Ariful Haque, Manik Mian
and Golam Mostafa of Najirdigar and Kathihara villages under Sadar upazila
here said that they got excellent yield rate of their just harvested T-Aman
rice varieties last week.
Deputy Director of the DAE at its regional office Md Moniruzzaman said
farmers are hopeful to achieve a bumper production of T-Aman rice as its
harvest continues in full swing amid favourable climatic condition with
excellent yield rate.
“After completing harvest of the short duration Aman rice varieties,
farmers have already started sowing seed of early variety potato, winter
vegetables and other Rabi crops on the same lane in the region,” he added.
Meanwhile, harvest of T-Aman rice as well as cultivation of subsequent Rabi
crops of the same land have created jobs for tens of hundreds of farm-
labourer, including females, in all five districts under Rangpur agriculture
region now.
Farm-labourer Yakub Ali, Matiar Rahman, Saidul Islam, Khoybar Ali, Aklima
Khatun, Mohsena Begum and Kulsum Begum of different villages said they were
earning Taka 400 to Taka 500 as wages per day by harvesting T-Aman rice crop
on the fields.
District Marketing Officer for Rangpur ASM Hassan Sarwar said the market
price of rice marked fall by Taka five to eight in recent weeks following
appearance of newly harvested T-Aman rice in local markets.
“The course variety rice is being sold now at rates of Taka 30-34 per kg,
medium variety at Taka 37-43 and fine variety rice at rates of Taka 50-54 per
kg in the local markets,” Sarwar said.