By Engr. Mamun Islam
RANGPUR, Sept 18, 2020 (BSS) – Braving the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, farmers have successfully cultivated Aman rice on over 6.06 lakh hectares of land overcoming damages caused by recent floods to the crop in Rangpur agriculture region.
“Farmers have cultivated Aman rice on 6,06,852 hectares of land exceeding the fixed farming target by 1,712 hectares or 1.21 percent this season,” Muhammad Ali, Additional Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) for Rangpur region told BSS today.
The success has been achieved following implementation of massive post-flood agriculture rehabilitation programmes by the government to assist flood-hit farmers in attaining the fixed Aman rice farming target recouping losses caused by recent floods.
“Farmer completed transplantation of late varieties of Aman rice seedlings and broadcasting of seeds on September 15 last to bring more land under cultivation of the crop exceeding its fixed farming target in the region,” Ali said.
The government through the DAE successfully implemented the massive post-flood agriculture rehabilitation programmes spending Taka 1,15,35,840 and distributed specially prepared Aman rice seedlings among 15,131 flood-hit farmers of the region.
Aman rice seedlings, specially prepared on community seedbeds on 221 acres of land spending Taka 96 lakh, were distributed among 14,663 affected farmers for re-transplanting on 14,663 bigha of submerged cropland with one bigha each in the region.
Besides, 500 floating Aman rice seedbeds were prepared in flood-hit areas and the prepared seedlings were distributed among 100 flood-affected farmers of all five districts in the region.
“In addition to this, the DAE distributed late variety Aman rice seedlings after preparing those on 9,568 floating trays on water among 368 flood-affected farmers with 26 trays to each of the farmers of the region,” Ali said.
Besides, late variety Aman rice seeds were distributed free of cost among many flood-hit farmers who have already broadcasted those on their affected croplands.
Many flood-hit farmers have also cultivated late ‘Ganjia’ varieties of Aman rice using seeds from their own stocks in affected areas.
“Earlier, the DAE had fixed a target of producing 16,97,795 tonnes of clean Aman rice (25,46,693 tonnes of paddy) from 6,05,140 hectares of land for Rangpur agriculture region this season,” Ali said.
“Against a requirement of preparing Aman rice seedbeds on 30,391 hectares of land to produce seedlings for transplantation on 6,05,140 hectares, farmers have prepared the same on 34,427 hectares, higher by 4,036 hectares than required,” he said.
However, the recent floods damaged Aman rice seedbeds on 1,266 hectares of land causing losses to seedlings worth Taka 18.76 crore affecting 41,230 farmers of all five districts in the region.
Besides, the floods damaged the transplanted Aman rice crop on 111 hectares of land causing production losses of 320 tonnes of rice worth Taka 1.16 crore and affecting 1,222 farmers.
The government immediately undertook massive post-flood agri-rehabilitation programmes to assist flood-affected farmers and finally attained and exceeded the fixed target for Aman rice farming after recession of floodwaters in the region.
“We are expecting to achieve a super bumper production of Aman rice despite damages caused by recent floods to the crop this season in Rangpur agriculture region,” Ali added.
Talking to BSS, farmers Manik, Mina, Echhahaq Ali, Ariful Haque, Aiyub Ali and Abdul Ahad of flood-hit Kawnia upazila in Rangpur said tender plants of Aman rice are growing superbly now predicting a bumper production of the crop this season.