RAJSHAHI, August 7, 2022 (BSS) - Farmers have been transplanting seedling of aman paddy everywhere in Rajshahi division including its vast Barind tract in full swing for the last couple of weeks with the hope of getting cherished yield.
 
They are passing their time with seedling transplantation coupled with nursing and caring for the seedbeds and the activities have created job opportunities for many unemployed people.
 
At present, the farmers are seen transplanting various high yielding varieties, including Bina 17, Bina 7 and Bina 51 and Brridhan 56, Brridhan 66, Brridhan71, Brridhan75, Brridhan80, Brridhan87 and Brridhan90, and some other local and conventional ones amidst suitable climate conditions with frequent rainfall.
 
Nurul Islam, 48, a farmer of Puthiya area, has cultivated aman paddy on five bigha of land saying many of his co-villagers are seen humming towards aman paddy farming as they got good price of boro paddy.
 
Another farmer Ashraful Islam, 37, of Gollapara village under Tanore Upazila, said he has cultivated aman paddy on six bighas of land after the best uses of rainfall that saved him from extra cost for irrigation.
 
Dr Fazlul Islam, Principal Scientific Officer of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), said the appropriate timeframe of the paddy seedlings transplantation is up to August 20, while only the late varieties could be transplanted by end of this month.

"Timely transplantation of aman paddy seedlings is very important for healthy growth leading to optimum yield in the area," he said.
 
He said some of the farmers are expecting transplantation of seedlings after harvesting of Aush paddy. "We have some late varieties for them," Dr Islam added.
 
He said BRRI has developed seven modern paddy varieties for the Aman season creating high hope among the farmers in general in the region.
 
The varieties like Brridhan 56, Brridhan 66, Brridhan71, Brridhan75, Brridhan80, Brridhan87 and Brridhan90 are comparatively high yielding, drought tolerant and take short time to get matured than local variety 'Swarna' which is prone to various diseases, he continued.
 
Dr Islam said farmers have been encouraged to cultivating 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.
 
Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has set a target of producing more than 24.60 lakh metric tons of transplanted aman rice from 7.85 lakh hectares of land in all eight districts under Rajshahi division this season.
 
Shamsul Wadud, Additional Director of DAE, said suitable weather is helping the farmers' nurse transplanted Aman seedlings this season and the fixed target is expected to be achieved.
 
He said the farmers have prepared seedbeds on 52,072 hectares of land in the division to meet the demands of seedlings.
 
In the previous year, farmers harvested around 24.13 lakh tonnes of Transplanted Aman rice from 7.79 lakh hectares of lands in the division, he added.