BSS, Netrakona :Harvest of transplanted (T) Aman, a highly valued crop, has been progressing fast in all the ten upazilas of the district during the current season.The Aman cultivators are expecting a bumper output of the paddy after getting better yielding rate in everywhere of the district.Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) office sources said, the cultivators finally cultivated the paddy on 1, 29, 305 hectares of land exceeding the district’s T-Aman farming target fixed 1,6,464 hectares of land this year.Rice production target was fixed 2,64,595 tonnes this year, but now the growers are expecting to harvest over three lakhs tonnes of rice if the weather condition remained favorable till ending of the harvesting period, the sources said.Deputy director of DAE Bilash Chandra Paul told BSS that the government implemented various farmers-friendly programmes including ensuring adequate supply of improved quality Aman seeds, fertilizers and other agricultural inputs and distribution of Bank loans to the farmers for assisting them to make their T-Aman cultivation programme successful.Field workers and crops specialists of DAE rendered field-level service to the farmers to let them know about the modern methods of T-Aman cultivation for getting satisfactory output of the paddy by reducing production costs, he added.Apart from this, the farmers were imparted training by the cropsspecialists to take integrated pest management (IPM) methods and other latest technologies for protecting their Aman paddy from pest attacks and many diseases.BSS from Faridpur adds: Farmers of this district are expecting a good harvest of Aman paddy this season after it was cultivated on 39,022 hectors exceeding the target set by Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE).According to a source of DAE original target of the cultivation of Aman paddy was fixed at 26,500 hectors for HYV transplanted Aman and 7,000 hectors for local variety bringing the total to 33,500 hectors.But the inspired farmers helped by favorable weather, availability of fertilizer and other inputs in time helped exceeding the target.The source of DAE said that 1,03,123 tonnes of clean rice are expected this season from the cultivated Aman paddy if everything goes well before harvesting.The DAE source said that they are expecting 2.80 tonnes HYV T-Aman per hector while 1.50 tonnes local variety per hector.The DAE source said that the condition of the crop in the field is very much satisfactory and about 20 percent crop is in the ripe stage. Within a fortnight harvesting will be completed everywhere in the district.
