Farmers expecting bumper Aman rice production in Rangpur region

Farmers are expecting a bumper production of Aman rice this season after exceeding its fixed farming target in Rangpur agriculture region.

Braving a drought-like situation during the seedling transplantation period, farmers are expecting a bumper production of  Aman rice this season after exceeding its fixed farming target in Rangpur agriculture region. 

Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said farmers will start harvesting short-duration varieties of Aman rice soon while tender  plants of the crop are growing superbly following recent rainfalls after the drought-like situation.  

Farmers have engaged all-out efforts in nursing their growing Aman rice plants on vast tracts of crop land that have worn an eye-catching look in all  five districts of Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari in the region. 

Earlier, the government had fixed a target of producing 18,68,032 tonnes of clean Aman rice (28,02,048 tonnes of paddy) from 6,14,400 hectares of land 

this season for all five districts of the region.  

Farmers have finally brought 6,16,962 hectares of land under Aman rice cultivation exceeding the fixed farming target by 0.42 percent overcoming the  drought-like situation during the seedling transplantation period in the region.  

"We are expecting a bumper production of Aman rice in the region where farmers will begin harvesting early varieties of the crop from the next month," Additional Director of DAE for Rangpur region Agriculturist Md. Aftab Hossain said. 

The government through the DAE and other agriculture-related organisations undertook massive programs to assist farmers in facing the drought-like  situation for attaining the fixed Aman rice farming target. 

The DAE, Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA), Teesta Barrage Project (TBP) ensured irrigation facilities for transplantation of Aman rice seedlings amid less rainfall. 

"The BADC and BMDA and farmers put irrigation pumps into operation and the Teesta Barrage Project supplied water through canals to assist farmers in transplanting Aman rice seedlings this season," Aftab Hossain added.  

Deputy Director of the DAE for Rangpur Agriculturist Md. Obaidur Rahman Mondal said field level agriculture officials provided assistance and latest technologies to farmers to ensure successful cultivation of Aman rice. 

"The government has taken special steps to ensure use of high quality seeds, smooth supply of fertilisers and fuels, prepare model seedbeds, balanced fertilization and adoption of improved technologies to increase Aman rice yield this time," he said.

Following huge motivational and training activities conducted by the DAE and other organisations, farmers have effectively adapted to adverse climatic conditions and drought-like situations and achieved the fixed farming target of Aman rice.

"A bumper production of Aman rice is likely as tender plants of the crop are growing excellent following recent rainfalls despite a drought-like situation during the seedling transplantation period in the region," Modal added. 

A number of farmers of different villages said their tender Aman rice plants are growing superbly amid favourable climatic conditions now predicting a bumper production of the major cereal crop this season. Farmers Azizul Islam and Ariful Haque Batul of village Najirdigar and Alhaj Echhahaq Ali of village Kathihara in Rangpur Sadar said their growing Aman 

rice plants would not require any more supplementary irrigation following recent seasonal rainfalls. 

"The superbly growing tender Aman rice plants are predicting a bumper rice production despite a drought-like situation during the seedling  transplantation periods in the region this season," Echhahaq Ali added.