Photo: BSS

By Md Mamun Islam
 
RANGPUR, Aug 18, 2026 (BSS) - Despite a little drought-like situation due to no seasonal rainfall in recent days, farmers have already completed planting of Aman rice seedling on 96 percent of the target land in Rangpur agricultural region.
 
Additional Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) for Rangpur region Md Shirajul Islam today told BSS that the set Aman rice farming target will be achieved within the next couple of weeks.
 
"Farmers have already transplanted Aman rice seedling on 5,96,688 hectares of land, 96 percent of the targeted land area for cultivation of the crop, till Monday in the region," he said.
 
The DAE has fixed a target of producing 20,05,028 tonnes of clean Aman rice (30,07,542 tonnes in terms of paddy) from 6,21,550 hectares of land for all five districts of Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari in the region this year.
 
Earlier in the last season, farmers produced 20,00,614 tonnes of clean Aman rice and 18,88,538 tonnes of clean Aman rice from 6,16,299 hectares of land in the previous season in the region.
 
Meanwhile, farmers have prepared seedbeds on 34,623 hectares of land, which is 13.89 percent more than the 30,401 hectares of land required for Aman rice cultivation on the target land of 6,21,550 hectares.
 
The DAE distributed high-quality Aman rice seeds and fertilisers among the small and marginal farmers as incentives to assist them in cultivating the crop successfully.
 
In addition, steps were taken to prepare the seedbeds for late varieties of Aman rice in highlands and floating seedbeds in low-lying areas so that there was no shortage of seedlings due to floods, if any.
 
The field-level agricultural officers are providing all necessary support and latest technology to farmers to ensure successful cultivation of Aman rice during the current season.
 
While visiting a vast area of Rangpur today, this BSS correspondent saw that vast fields of crops were covered in greenery as the young shoots of Aman rice sprouted, and despite the lack of rain, farmers were planting Aman rice seedlings in a festive mood.Many farmers were seen operating their own shallow tube wells in lifting underground water to irrigate their growing Aman rice fields almost in every village of Rangpur like elsewhere in the region. 
 
"We have not been facing problems with power supply now and are able to keep our shallow tube wells running for irrigation as we have good power supply. The situation was worse a few days ago due to load-shedding," said Isahaque Ali, a farmer from Kathihara village in Rangpur Sadar Upazila. 
 
Talking to BSS, farmers of different villages in Taraganj, Gangachara, Mithapukur, Kawnia and Pirgachha upazilas of Rangpur said that transplantation of Aman rice seedling is gradually completing and the tender plants are growing well.
 
Farmers Noor Muhammad and Hasan Ali of Dolapara village in Taraganj upazila of Rangpur said that due to the lack of rain in recent days, they are irrigating their Aman rice fields by drawing groundwater through shallow tube wells. 
 
Farmers Abu Hassan Borhan Uddin and Golam Rahman of different villages of Gangachara upazila in Rangpur said that they have already completed transplantation of Aman seedlings on their lands.
 
"The young Aman rice plants are growing beautifully in the fields of our village, where the planting was completed a couple of weeks ago," said Manik Mia, a farmer from Darshona village in Rangpur Sadar.