RAJSHAHI, July 30, 2019 (BSS) – Transplantation of Aush paddy seedlings has been completed successfully and those are now growing well everywhere in this region along with the vast barind tract amidst suitable climatic condition including the frequent rainfall.
Recurrent rainfalls are bringing fortune for the farmers towards the growing process creating seasonal job opportunities for the labor-class people especially the indigenous males and females, said Shamsul Haque, Deputy Director of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE).
He added that the farmers are busy in nursing of the growing Aush plants of various high yielding and local varieties including BRRI-28, BR-26, BR-27, BR-21, BR-48 and BR-55, which gave better yield all along.
Some of the high yielding and drought tolerant as well as short-duration varieties released by Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) have become boon for the farmers, Dr Aminul Islam, Chief Scientific Officer of BRRI, while talking to BSS today.
The BR-48 paddy variety has been gaining popularity among farmers in the Barind tract for the last couple of years. It has been giving satisfactory yield with scanty rainfall and limited irrigation during the Aush season in the area.
Meanwhile, the farmers have brought 2,37,958 hectares of land under Aush paddy cultivation in all eight districts under Rajshahi division during this season.
DAE has set a target to bring a total of 2,59,591 hectares of land fixing production target of 6,98,491 metric tones of rice in the division.
Additional Director of DAE, Deb Dulal Dhali said a total of 39,200 farmers got incentives of seed and fertilizer for the cultivation of Aush paddy on 39,200 bigha of lands in all the eight districts.
He said the Aush farming is very much cost effective as it requires less production cost and face less natural calamity.
More or less, the farming depends on monsoonal rainfall which is very important for lessening the gradually increasing pressure on groundwater.