RAJSHAHI, Sept 26, 2020 (BSS) – Despite the adverse impacts of both the
Covid-19 pandemic and the flood, Aman paddy transplantation has exceeded the
target in Rajshahi division creating scopes of producing additional yield of
the food grain.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has set the target of
producing around 22.19 lakh tonnes of Aman rice from around 7.66 lakh
hectares of land in all eight districts under the division during the current
season.
But, amazingly, the enthusiastic farmers have brought more than 7.77 lakh
hectares of land exceeding the target by 11,540 hectares braving the current
pandemic and disastrous situations.
According to the farmers and the DAE sources, the target has been exceeded
as the farmers are seen humming towards more paddy farming side by side with
suitable climate conditions with frequent rainfall.
Particularly, the farmers are now very much pleased with the present
lucrative market price for the latest harvested Aush and Boro paddy and rice
in the entire region including its vast Barind tract.
After getting the profitable price of their paddy they are seen bustling
with farming of transplanted Aman paddy with more attention.
Nurul Islam, 48, a farmer of Puthiya area, has cultivated Aman paddy on
five bighas of land saying many of his co-villagers are seen humming towards
the paddy farming as they got good price of Aush and Boro paddy.
Another farmer Ashraful Islam, 37, of Gollapara village under Tanore
upazila, said he has cultivated the paddy on six bighas of land after the
best uses of rainfall that saved him from extra cost for irrigation.
Farmer Zaidur Rahman of Karnahar village under Paba upazila said the
farmers hope for a better yield of Aman paddy as its cultivation requires
less cost compared to other crops.
He added that they had not faced any problem in plantation of T-Aman
seedlings as they experienced sufficient seasonal rainfall.
Sudhendra Nath Roy, additional director of the DAE, said suitable weather
is helping the farmers’ to nurse transplanted Aman paddy and most of the
farming fields have become green creating an eye-catching look everywhere in
the region.
Besides, special measures were adopted for ensuring seedlings through
boosting production in alternative ways like community seedbeds and floating
seedbeds besides growing seed on trays for recouping the losses caused by
flood in the division.
Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) has developed seven modern paddy
varieties of the Aman season for the welfare of common farmers in the region
particularly in its vast Barind tract, said Dr Aminul Islam, chief scientific
officer of BRRI.
The varieties like Brridhan71, Brridhan75, Brridhan80, Brridhan87 and
Brridhan90 are comparatively high yielding, drought tolerant and short
duration than local variety ‘Swarna’ which is prone to various diseases and
insects always affect paddy.
Dr Islam said farmers have been encouraged to cultivate the latest
varieties through various interventions including block demonstration, plots
projection and supplying of seed free of cost.
He also said the modern varieties have opened up doors in enormous
prospects of food security along with mitigating the crises of irrigation
water.
Dr Islam also mentioned that Parija and Swarna varieties are being
replaced by some of the developed varieties that can to boost the Aman
output.