Aman rice cultivation target exceeds in Rangpur region

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By Engr Mamun Islam

RANGPUR, Sept 9, 2020 (BSS) – Various pragmatic steps of the government helped farmers to exceed the farming target of Transplanted Aman rice despite damages caused by recent floods in Rangpur agriculture region this season.

“Farmers have already brought over 6.09 lakh hectares of land under Aman rice farming exceeding the fixed farming target by 0.74 percent,” said Muhammad Ali, additional director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) for Rangpur region.

The government has been implementing massive post-flood agriculture rehabilitation programmes to assist flood-hit farmers in recouping crop losses caused by the recent floods.

As the process of transplantation of late varieties Aman rice seedlings and broadcasting of seeds continues, farmers are expected to bring more land under cultivation of the crop also to exceed its production target in the region.

The government through the DAE continues distributing specially prepared Aman rice seedlings among 15,225 flood-hit farmers free of cost for re-transplanting those on 15,225 bigha of submerged cropland with one bigha each in the region.

“The enthusiastic farmers have already transplanted Aman rice seedlings by Tuesday on 6,09,610 hectares of land which is higher by 4,470 hectares or 0.74 percent against the fixed farming target of the crop,” Ali said.

Earlier, the DAE has 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.

“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 1,196 hectares of land causing losses to seedlings worth about Taka 15.95 crore affecting 38,705 farmers 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 in attaining the fixed target for Aman rice farming in the region.

“The DAE has prepared community Aman rice seedbeds on 221 acres of land at union and ward levels in flood-hit areas. The prepared seedlings are being distributed among 14,732 flood-hit farmers of the region,” the DAE official said.

Besides, 500 floating Aman rice seedbeds have been prepared in flood-hit areas and the prepared seedlings are being distributed among 125 flood-affected farmers.

“In addition to this, the DAE continues distributing late variety Aman rice seedlings after preparing those on 9,568 floating trays among 368 flood-affected farmers with 26 trays to each of the farmers of the region,” he added.

Besides, late variety Aman rice seeds have been distributed free of cost among flood-hit farmers who have already broadcasted those on their affected croplands.

Many flood-hit farmers are also cultivating late ‘Ganjia’ varieties of Aman rice using seeds from their own stocks in affected areas.

The farmers are expected to complete re-transplantation of Aman rice seedlings and broadcast Aman rice seeds on their submerged croplands by September 15 next to further exceed the fixed farming target.

“We are expecting to achieve a bumper production of Aman rice despite damages caused by recent floods to the crop this season in all five districts of Rangpur agriculture region,” Ali hoped.