SYLHET, Aug 02: Farmers in Sylhet division are busy cultivating Transplanted Aman (T- Aman) paddy.
Some 21,378 hectares of seedbed have already been prepared, an official of DAE, Sylhet divisional office, said on Thursday.
The division's target of rice production has been set at 973,793 tonnes from 384,005 hectares of land.
Of the total target area, 138,335 hectares of land have been earmarked in Sylhet to produce 31,97,832 tonnes of rice, 9,6246 hectares in Moulvibazar for producing 2,65,434 tonnes of rice, 75,210 hectares in Habiganj for 20,5,060 tonnes of rice and 74,214 hectares in Sunamganj for producing 183,517 tonnes of rice.
In many areas farmers have already cultivated about 29,825 hectares of land as yet, said additional director of DAE, Sylhet divisional office, Md Altabur Rahman. Cultivation is progressing fast amid favourable weather condition, he added.
Our Gopalganj Correspondent adds: Cultivation of T-Aman paddy is going on in full swing in the district.
According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Gopalganj, sources, DAE has set a target to produce 79,660 tonnes of Aman from 22,760 hectares of land this year.
Samir Kumar Goshwami, deputy director (Agriculture), Gopalganj said the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Board has provided quality Aman seed to the growers.
The DAE supplied all necessary inputs to make the cultivation programme a success.
Besides, agri officials visit Aman fields frequently and give suggestions to the growers regarding the farming, the official added.
Rashamay Mondal, upazila agriculture officer, Kasiani, said, "We are expecting a good T-Aman yield this season due to favourable climate condition.
A good number of growers are applying modern technology on the paddy field, he added.
Sukdeb Basu of Sibgati village under Moheshpur union under Kasiani upazila said he has cultivated BINA-16 paddy variety on two bighas of land this year.
He expects to get 40 maunds of paddy market price of which is Tk 32,000.
Bangladesh Krishi Bank has distributed short-term loan facility to the Aman.
A BSS report from Narsingdi says: Cultivation of T-Aman paddy has begun in all the six upazilas of the district.
Sources with Department of Agriculture Extension (ADE) said amid a favourable climatic condition farmers of the district are now working round the clock in their paddy fields for transplanting T-Aman paddy seedlings.
The sources said during the current season a total of 40,383 hectares of land would be brought under T-Aman paddy (BRRI-11,22,30,32,34,39,49 and Binna-7 verities) cultivation in the district.
Of the total, 31,000 hectares of land would be brought under high yielding variety (HYV) of the paddy while 9,343 hectares are under local variety.
DAE Deputy Director Latapat Hossain said farmers of the district in the meantime have already cultivated about five per cent of the total targeted land.
He said the Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) has so far distributed 346 tonnes of seeds among the farmers and there is no shortage of T-Aman seedlings in the district.
The DAE official said over 100,871 tonnes of Aman rice is expected to be produced in the district this season.