Target set to produce 8.37 lakh tones of Aman rice in Khulna

The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has fixed a target of producing over 8.37 lakh tones of Transplanted Aman (T-Aman) rice from 2.97 lakh hectares of land.

The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has fixed a target of producing over 8.37 lakh tones of Transplanted Aman (T-Aman) rice from 2.97 lakh hectares of land in four districts of Khulna agricultural zone during the current season.

 The target includes the production of 8,37,418 tonnes of high yielding varieties of Aman rice from 2,97,293 hectares of land.

 Among the varieties of Amon rice, there are 84,854 tones of hybrid variety of Aman rice from 21,983 hectares of land, 6,62,650 tones upashi variety of Aman rice from 2,23,531 hectares of land and 89,914 tones of local variety of Aman rice from 51,779 hectares of land, the DAE office sources said.

Additional Director of DAE, Khulna Zone, Agriculturist Mohon Kumar Ghosh said in Khulna, DAE set a target of producing 2,75,693 tones of T-Amon from 93,185 hectares of land, in Bagerhat 1,82,955 tones from 73,096 hectares of land, in Satkhira, 2,52,590 tones from 88,750 hectares of land and in Narail 1,26,180 tones from 42,262 hectares of land.

 DAE official sources said, a target of producing 2.8 tonnes of T-Aman rice has been set from per hectare of land this season in Khulna zone.

 Officials of the DAE said, due to inadequate rainfall during the seedling's transplantation period, there has been a delay in seedingin Khulna agricultural region.

 The DAE, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) and other organisations have taken steps to make the T-Aman rice cultivation programme successful.

 The government has taken special steps to ensure use of high-quality seeds, prepare model seedbeds and ensure balanced fertilization and adoption of improved technologies to enhance rice production despite adverse impacts of climate change.

 To achieve the farming target of Aman rice and to ensure uninterrupted fertilizer management, the government has formed a task force and monitoring team in each upazila headed by Upazila Agriculture Officer, he said.

 "We've already formed a task force and monitoring team to monitor smooth irrigation, fertilizer management in four districts," he said.

 "We've directed field level agriculture officials to provide necessary assistance and latest technologies to the farmers to ensure successful cultivation of T-Aman rice which has been taken by the government," he added.