RANGPUR, Oct 3, 2022 (BSS) - Early harvest of short duration Aman rice has 
already begun creating jobs for farm-labourers and helping them in tackling 
the 'seasonal lean period' of 'Aswin' and 'Kartik' months in Rangpur 
agriculture region. 
 
Like in the previous years, short duration Aman rice harvest is now helping 
small and marginal farmers and farm-laborers in tackling the 'seasonal lean 
period' that has already disappeared from the region 13 years back.

Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said expanded 
cultivation of short duration Aman rice was launched in 2009 aiming at 
creating jobs for farm-laborers through early harvest of the crop during the 
seasonal lean period.
 
"Early harvest of short duration Aman rice creates jobs for farm-laborers 
during the 'seasonal lean periods' since 2010 relieving them from poverty," 
said Agriculturist Mohammad Shah Alam, Additional Director of the DAE, 
Rangpur region. 
 
Earlier, a poverty-like situation was being created for lack of agricultural 
activities during the months of 'Aswin' and 'Kartik' causing untold miseries 
to the poor and farm-labourers even 14 years ago.

The DAE has fixed a target of producing 18,07,916 tonnes of clean Aman rice 
(27,11,874 tonnes of paddy) from 6,15,685 hectares of land for all five 
districts of the region this season.
 
Farmers have cultivated Aman rice on 6,15,981 hectares of land exceeding the 
fixed farming target by 296 hectares of land. 

"Of them, farmers have cultivated short duration varieties of Aman rice on 
over 62,000 hectares of land across the region this season," he said.
 
Meanwhile, farmers have already harvested short duration Aman rice on 3,000 
hectares of land till Sunday and got an average yield rate of 2.48 tonnes of 
clean Aman rice (3.72 tonnes of paddy) per hectare of land.

Beginning from October, harvesting of short duration Aman rice will continue 
till the end of November next. 
 

"After harvesting short duration Aman rice, farmers will cultivate early 
varieties of potato, mustard, winter vegetables and other crops on the same 
land to increase crop intensity and earn more profits," Alam added.
 
Independence Award 2018 Medal (food security) winner Agriculturist Dr. Md. 
Abdul Mazid said early harvest of short duration Aman rice followed by 
cultivation of early varieties of winter crops on the same land creates huge 
jobs during the lean period. 
 
"Assuming power in 2009, the Awami League government led by Prime Minister 
Sheikh Hasina put stress on expanding short duration Aman rice farming and 
rapidly eliminated the seasonal joblessness situation of 'monga' by 2010 from 
Rangpur region," he said.
 
Farmers Lutfar Rahman, Narayan Chandra, Rabindranath Roy, Mofizar Rahman and 
Fazlul Haque of Taraganj upazila here said they have already harvested short 
duration Aman rice and got excellent output.
 
They are happy getting excellent market prices of newly harvested Aman paddy 
between Taka 1,000 and Taka 1,100 per mound (every 40 kilograms). 
 
In addition to meeting food needs of farmers with the newly harvested rice, 
raw paddy straws are also providing cattle fodder. Raw paddy straw is in 
great demand as cattle fodder.
 
"Farmers are selling raw paddy straws produced from one bigha (33 decimals) 
of land at Taka 5,000 and Taka 6,000 now," said farmer Ariful Haque Batul of 
village Najirdigar in Rangpur Sadar upazila.