BOGURA, Jun 06: A good number of peasants of the district are passing busy time growing short-duration Aus paddy.
Sources said Aus cultivation is gaining popularity across the area as the government has taken various steps regarding this.
Besides, the paddy variety requires low irrigation but more pesticide than Boro or T-Aman.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) office said the farmers of Dupchanchia, Kahaloo, Adamdighi, Shibganj, Shajahanpur and Nandigram upazilas of the district prepared Aus seedbed in May last.
It needs 35 days to allow the seedlings mature to be transplanted on the main land, DAE officials added.
To make Aus cultivation programme a success, the government distributed special incentives among the farmers in the district.
The DAE authority has targeted to bring 21,900 hectares of land under Aus cultivation with the production cost of 18,900 tonnes.
Farmers can grow 12 to 15 maunds of Aus rice from a bigha of land if the weather condition remains favourable. Each maund of raw paddy is sold at Tk 900 to Tk 1200.
Deputy Director of DAE Protul Chandra Sarker said Aus farming is profitable. Growers should expand its cultivation to boost rice production.
