Photo: BSS

RANGPUR, July 8, 2026 (BSS) - After getting repeated bumper yields in recent 
years, farmers are expecting an excellent production of Aush rice as harvest 
of the crop continues in Rangpur agriculture region during the current 
Kharif-1 season too. 
 
Enthusiastic farmers are harvesting the less irrigation-water consuming and 
short-duration Aush rice as an additional crop aiming at transplanting Aman 
rice seedlings on the same land after completing harvest by mid-August next. 
 
The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has fixed a target of 
producing 1,76,655 tonnes of clean Aush rice (2,64,982 tonnes of paddy) from 
58,300 hectares of land this season for the agricultural region. 
 
"However, farmers have finally brought 55,270 hectares of land under Aush 
rice cultivation, less by 3,030 hectares against the set farming target," 
Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur Region Krishibid Md Shirajul Islam 
told BSS today.
 
The fixed target for Aush rice farming could not be achieved due to crop 
diversification and cultivation of maize, vegetables and other crops on more 
land in all five districts of this region-- Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, 
Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari this time.
 
Meanwhile, farmers have already harvested Aush rice on 14,184 hectares of 
land producing 46,022 tonnes of clean rice at an excellent average yield rate 
of 3.24 tonnes per hectare.
 
Despite the adverse effects of climate change, the cultivation and production 
of Aush rice has been increasing in the region in recent years as a result of 
the government's pragmatic steps to increase food production to ensure 
national food security.
 
These measures include distributing special incentives in the form of high-
yielding varieties of seeds and fertilizers among farmers, conducting 
motivational publicity campaigns and providing them with training and latest 
technology.
 
Krishibid Md Shirajul Islam said, "Farmers are showing more interest in 
cultivating Aush rice as an additional crop on more land to increase rice 
production during the off-season after harvesting Boro rice and before 
transplanting Aman rice seedlings. 
 
During the last Kharif-1 season, farmers produced 1,84,603 tonnes of clean 
Aush rice (2,76,905 tonnes in terms of paddy) by cultivating the crop on 
61,163 hectares in Rangpur agricultural region. 
 
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 1,84,600 tonnes of clean Aush rice from 61,782 
hectares of land in 2023 and 1,78,777 tonnes of clean rice from 63,680 
hectares in 2022 in the region.
   
Krishibid Md Shirajul Islam said that farmers can easily cultivate Aman rice 
on the same land after harvesting Aush rice by mid-August to increase crop 
intensity and enhance rice production to ensure food security. 
 
"Farmers are cultivating Aush rice, mostly using unused rainwater during May, 
June and July, adopting the latest technologies and increasing rice output 
every year amidst adverse impacts of climate change in the agriculture 
sector," he said. 
 
Talking to BSS, farmers Farhad Hossain, Abul Kalam Azad and Omar Faruk from 
different villages of Rangpur Sadar upazila said that they are expecting a 
bumper harvest of Aush rice as the crop plants are growing well in favorable 
weather this season.
  
Farmers Nazrul Gani, Sohrab Hossain and Anil Chandra from different villages 
of Taraganj upazila of Rangpur have expressed satisfaction with the current 
market price of freshly harvested Aush paddy at Taka 1,200 to 1,300 per 
maund.