Aman farming target exceeds in Rajshahi division

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RAJSHAHI, Sept 10, 2018 (BSS) – Nearly 48,000 hectares of lands more have
been brought under transplanted Aman paddy farming than the target in
Rajshahi division comprising eight districts during the current season.

Due to favourable climatic condition, the target of Aman paddy cultivation
exceeded this year.

Currently, farmers of the region are now busy in taking care of the
transplanted Aman paddy in their field. If such favourable climatic condition
prevails, farmers are hoping of a bumper production of the crop.

Farmers informed, though the region faced a drought like condition during
the planting season, there were sufficient and adequate rainfall later on
which helped a smooth growth of Aman plant.

Now, farmers were busy taking care of their fields including eradication of
herbs, spraying of insecticides and using of fertilisers.

The price of paddy being satisfactory, more farmers cultivated paddy this
season and thus surpassing the target by some 48,000 hectares.

Zaidur Rahman, a farmer of Karnahar village under Paba upazila informed, he
has cultivated Aman on 35 bigha of land. The price of paddy being
satisfactory this year, many farmers of the area have increased the amount of
Aman cultivation.

Moreover, so far there was no natural catastrophes and due to sufficient
rainfall, there was no need to irrigate in the field. However, he said, due
to crisis of farm hands, the cost of Aman cultivation may increase this year.

Agriculturist Monjure Maula informed, due to getting a satisfactory price
of Aman paddy, the target of cultivation of Aman has been surpassed the
target this season.

According to a source of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), the
target of Aman cultivation has been set to bring 6,90,141 hectares whereas
actually the paddy was cultivated on 7,37,903 hectares of land in the
division.

Of those, 7.10 lakh hectares of land were brought under high yielding
varieties, 18,389 hectares under local varieties and 9,705 hectares under
hybrid varieties.

Meanwhile, the DAE here has set a target of producing around 18.67-lakh
tonnes of transplanted Aman rice in the region including its vast Barind
tract during the current season.

Additional Director of DAE SM Mustafizur Rahman told BSS today that the
rice is expected to be produced from around 7.38-lakh hectares of land in the
districts of Rajshahi, Naogaon, Chapainawabganj, Natore, Pabna, Sirajgonj,
Bogura and Joypurhat.

Bangladesh Agricultural Department Corporation (BADC) and Barind
Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) supplied quality seed among the
growers to achieve a good yield.

Most of the Aman farmers are applying modern methods on their paddy field.
DAE officials help them use pesticide and fertilisers properly.

Agriculturist Rahman said, “We have provided all sort of necessary agri-
inputs among the farmers this season to make the cultivation programme a
success.”

He added that BMDA is ready to provide supplementary irrigation if
required.

In addition, the farmers are keeping thousands of their shallow tube wells
ready for supplementary irrigation if any drought situation occurs during the
transplantation and farming period of the major cereal crop in the region, he
said.

Dr Tomal Lota Aditya, director (Research) of Bangladesh Rice Research
Institute (BRRI), said BRRI has, so far, developed 41 Aman varieties
including 39 inbreeds which are suitable for cultivation in the country.

“We have released seven drought tolerant varieties including one aromatic
for the Barind area,” she said, adding that some of those have gained
popularity among farmers during the last couple of years.

She also mentioned that the conventional Parija and Swarna varieties are
being replaced by some of the new varieties which are good sign of boosting
yield.