RANGPUR, Sept 25: An excellent growth of different varieties of short duration Aman paddy across the Rangpur agriculture region has made the growers optimistic of achieving a good yield of the crop during the current season.
The cultivation of such short duration varieties paddy in the northern region has shown immense potential in addressing food security and combating 'Monga' (seasonal joblessness) in the region, sources said.
According to sources different varieties of short duration Aman varieties including BINA Dhan7, BRRI Dhan 45, BRRI Dhan56, BRRI Dhan 62 and BRRI Dhan33 are grown abundantly in the region.
Farmers of the region are showing eagerness in cultivating those as they can harvest the varieties of paddy within a short time.
Harvesting of the paddy is expected to begin across the region within next one week, sources said.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Rangpur, sources said Aman paddy is being cultivated on around 50,000 hectares of land this year in five districts under the agriculture zone. The districts are: Rangpur, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari and Gaibandha.
This short duration anti-monga paddy is cultivated especially to create job opportunities for the farm labourers during the lean period of Bengali month of Ashwin and Kartik. During the time the poor, particularly the farmers and day labourers become unemployed after completing the transplantation of Aman seedlings on the field and face seasonal job crisis and poverty-like situation which force many labourers to move towards the capital and some other big cities in search of works.
DAE, Rangpur official sources said such varieties of short duration paddy take only 90 to 100 days from cultivation to harvest, which is about one month lesser than other varieties of T-Aman paddy. During the period between the harvest of the paddy and the cultivation of Boro, farmers can grow other crops like early potato, mustard, maize and some other early Robi crops, sources said.
Anwarul (40), a farmer of Mogolkot village under Mithapukur Upazila in Rangpur told The Financial Express that he cultivated BINA dhan7 paddy on one acre of his land this year and is hoping for a bumper yield of the crop. He is expecting to sell per maund of paddy at Tk 1000 to Tk1100 after harvesting, he added.
According to Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Rangpur official sources farming of such short duration and early varieties of paddy is on the rise across region as these types of paddy help the farmers to combat adverse situation. As consequence of the change of climate, various natural disasters have been occurring, posing serious threat to food security. So there is no alternative to multiplied and intensified cultivation, sources said. DAE in collaboration with several NGO's has been assisting the farmers in expanded farming of such sorts of paddy, sources added.
Our Bogra correspondent adds: Aman farmers of the district are expecting to achieve around 0.8 million tonnes of fresh paddy from around 0.2 million hectares of land this season.
Farmers' sources said though the recent flood disrupted the growth of T-Aman plants in Sonatola, Aariakandi, Dhunat and Adamdighi upazilas, present weather condition is now quite favourable for the crop.
Officials from the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Bogra, said they expect a bumper Aman production across the district. Growers will start harvesting the paddy after a month if the weather condition remains favourable.
Sub-assistance agriculture officer of DAE Faridur Rhman said, "We arranged a short training course on the proper Aman cultivation process. A good number of growers attended the course."
Farmer Solaiman Hossain of Kahaloo upazila said he is using eco-friendly and low-cost pheromone trap on his cropland. He said he is expecting a bumper production of the crop.
Another farmer Abu Bakkar said, "I have brought some 20 bighas of land under T-Aman paddy cultivation spending over Tk 60,000 as production cost. I am expecting to make over Tk 0.3 million this season."
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