KHULNA, July 14, 2020 (BSS) – A target of producing over 7.75 lakh tonnes of clean Transplanted Aman (T-Aman) rice has been fixed from 2.97 lakh hectares of land for Khulna agriculture region this season.
Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said farmers have just started transplantation of T-Aman rice seedlings and the process will get full momentum by this month-end.
Last year, farmers produced 8.11 lakh tonnes of T-Aman rice from 2.93 lakh hectares of land against the fixed target of producing 8.23 lakh tonnes of T-Aman rice from 2.91 lakh hectares of land in the region.
“The fixed production target of T-Aman rice for this season is less by 12,344 tonnes than the achieved production of 8.11 lakh tonnes of T-Aman rice last year,” said Additional Director of the DAE for Khulna region Agriculturist Kazi Abdul Mannan.
As cultivable land area continues lessening along with crop diversification, emphasis is being put on improving intercultural operation while farming T-Aman rice to increase its yield rate and production vertically in place of horizontal expansion of targeted land area.
The farmers and Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) will keep their irrigation pumps ready to operate for T-Aman rice seedling transplantation in case of less rainfall or droughts, if any, in the region.
“We have directed field level agriculture officials to provide all necessary assistance and latest technologies to farmers to ensure successful cultivation of T-Aman rice in the region,” Mannan added.
In addition to this, steps will be taken to prepare late variety T-Aman rice seedbeds on highlands and floating seedbeds in low-lying areas so that there was no crisis of seedlings for floods, if any during July and August months this season.
“The farmers are now preparing their croplands for transplantation of T-Aman rice seedlings in all four districts including Khulna, Bagerhat, Satkhira and Narail of the region where a favourable weather condition is prevailing for the purpose,” he added.