Photo: BSS

RANGPUR, June 29, 2025 (BSS) – Harvesting of short-duration Aush rice crop has begun with excellent yield making farmers happy in Rangpur agriculture region during this Kharif-1 season. 

Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said farmers will transplant Aman rice seedlings on the same land after completing harvest of the less irrigation-water consuming and short-duration Aus rice crop by mid-August next.
 
Earlier, the DAE had fixed a target of producing 1,91,460 tonnes of clean Aush rice (2,87,190 tonnes in terms of paddy) from 63,255 hectares of land for Rangpur agriculture region during this season. 
 
“However, farmers have finally brought 61,163 hectares of land under Aush rice cultivation, less by 2,092 hectares against the fixed farming target,” Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur region Md Shafikul Islam said. 

Meanwhile, farmers have already harvested Aush rice on 9,185 hectares of land till Saturday producing 31,477 tonnes of clean rice at an excellent average yield rate of 3.43 tonnes per hectare.

Despite the adverse effects of climate change, the cultivation and production of Aush rice in the region is increasing as a result of the government's pragmatic steps to ensure food security.

The steps include distribution of special incentives in terms of high-yielding variety seeds and fertilisers among small and marginal farmers, conducting motivational campaigns, providing training and technical support to them.

"Farmers are showing more interest in cultivating Aush rice as an additional crop to increase rice production during the off-season after harvesting Boro rice and before planting Aman rice seedlings," Shafikul Islam said. 

In 2024, farmers produced 1,84,617 tonnes of clean Aush rice (2,76,925 tonnes in terms of paddy) from 61,782 hectares of land in the region. 

Besides, farmers produced 1,84,617 tonnes of clean Aush rice from 61,782 hectares of land in 2023 and 1,78,777 tonnes from 63,680 hectares in 2022 in the region.

Md Mamunur Rashid, a PhD Fellow in the Department of Agricultural Extension at Dinajpur Haji Mohammad Danesh University of Science and Technology, expressed satisfaction with the expansion of Aush rice cultivation in this region every year.

“Farmers are cultivating Aush rice as an additional cereal crop using unused rainwater during the off-season in the months of April, May and June when croplands mostly remain fallow,” said Rashid, also an expert in stress-tolerant crop cultivation.

Rice-scientist Dr Md Abdul Mazid, a recipient of the Independence Award-2018 (food security), appreciated the initiatives taken by the authorities concerned to promote less irrigation water consuming Aush rice cultivation for producing additional rice.

“After completing Aush rice cultivation following Boro rice harvest and before Aman rice seedling transplantation, farmers can cultivate Aman rice on the same land,” said Dr Mazid, also a former Chief Scientific Officer of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute.

He suggested the authorities concerned and farmers to further increase Aush rice farming using unused seasonal rain waters during the off season as an additional crop; to increase rice production amid changing climate without hampering Aman cultivation.
 
Talking to BSS, farmers Lokman Hossain, Abul Kalam and Kabir Ahmed from different villages of Rangpur expressed satisfaction at the current market price of newly harvested Aush paddy ranging between Taka 1,150 and Taka 1,200 per maund (per 40 kg).