BSS, Rangpur :
The farmers are happy getting bumper Aus rice production as well as excellent market price as harvest of the crop continues in full swing everywhere now in Rangpur agriculture region.
Officials of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said the farmers already harvested the crop on 68.66 percent of totally cultivated land area to get 3.15 tonnes of clean Aus rice per hectare against targeted yield rate of 2.64 tonnes rice per hectare.
“The farmers completed harvest of the crop on 27,890 hectares of land in of Rangpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat districts under the region,” said Horticulture Specialist of the DAE at its regional office Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam.
The DAE has fixed a target of bringing 26,159 heaters of land under Aus rice cultivation to produce 68,969 tonnes of clean Aus rice for these five districts this season.
“However, the enthusiastic farmers have cultivated Aus rice on 40,618 hectares of land exceeding the fixed farming target by 14,459 hectares or 55.27 percent this time,” Islam said.
Aus rice farming regained popularity following distribution of special incentives, conducting motivational activities, providing training and technical assistance to inspire the farmers in increasing cultivation of the less irrigation water consuming crop.
Deputy Director of the DAE at its regional office Md Moniruzzaman said the government distributed special incentives to 8,000 farmers who got 5- kg Aus rice seed, 20-kg urea, 10-kg DAP and 10-kg MoP and Taka 500 for irrigating Aus rice field on one bigha of land each.
Besides, 300 beneficiary farmers got 5-kg Nerico Aus rice seed, 20-kg urea, 10-kg DAP and 10-kg MoP fertilisers, Taka 500 for irrigating Aus rice field and Taka 500 for weed control on one bigha land each in the region.
“All these interventions of the government became effective to enhance cultivation of less water consuming Aus rice farming on more land during the off-season between Boro rice harvest and T-Aman seedling transplantation this season,” Moniruzzaman added.
Farmers Echhahaq Ali, Abdul Baten and Kafil Uddin of different villages under Sadar upazila and Nazir Uddin and Abdus Sobhan of Badarganj upazila in Rangpur said they already completed harvest of their cultivated Aus rice.
They also expressed satisfaction over the present market price of newly harvested Aus paddy between Taka 800 and 850 per mound (every 40 kilogram) adding that they were transplanting seedling of Transplanted Aman rice on the same land.
Talking to BSS, noted rice scientist Dr Md Abdul Mazid, who got the Independence Award 2018 Medal (food security) this year, said cultivation of Aus rice should be increased further to increase additional rice production amid changing climate.
“We have to switch over to farming less irrigation water consuming crops like Aus rice using unused seasonal rainwater during the off season as a substitute cereal crop to costly Boro rice farming to increase rice production for food security,” Mazid said.
The farmers are happy getting bumper Aus rice production as well as excellent market price as harvest of the crop continues in full swing everywhere now in Rangpur agriculture region.
Officials of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said the farmers already harvested the crop on 68.66 percent of totally cultivated land area to get 3.15 tonnes of clean Aus rice per hectare against targeted yield rate of 2.64 tonnes rice per hectare.
“The farmers completed harvest of the crop on 27,890 hectares of land in of Rangpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat districts under the region,” said Horticulture Specialist of the DAE at its regional office Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam.
The DAE has fixed a target of bringing 26,159 heaters of land under Aus rice cultivation to produce 68,969 tonnes of clean Aus rice for these five districts this season.
“However, the enthusiastic farmers have cultivated Aus rice on 40,618 hectares of land exceeding the fixed farming target by 14,459 hectares or 55.27 percent this time,” Islam said.
Aus rice farming regained popularity following distribution of special incentives, conducting motivational activities, providing training and technical assistance to inspire the farmers in increasing cultivation of the less irrigation water consuming crop.
Deputy Director of the DAE at its regional office Md Moniruzzaman said the government distributed special incentives to 8,000 farmers who got 5- kg Aus rice seed, 20-kg urea, 10-kg DAP and 10-kg MoP and Taka 500 for irrigating Aus rice field on one bigha of land each.
Besides, 300 beneficiary farmers got 5-kg Nerico Aus rice seed, 20-kg urea, 10-kg DAP and 10-kg MoP fertilisers, Taka 500 for irrigating Aus rice field and Taka 500 for weed control on one bigha land each in the region.
“All these interventions of the government became effective to enhance cultivation of less water consuming Aus rice farming on more land during the off-season between Boro rice harvest and T-Aman seedling transplantation this season,” Moniruzzaman added.
Farmers Echhahaq Ali, Abdul Baten and Kafil Uddin of different villages under Sadar upazila and Nazir Uddin and Abdus Sobhan of Badarganj upazila in Rangpur said they already completed harvest of their cultivated Aus rice.
They also expressed satisfaction over the present market price of newly harvested Aus paddy between Taka 800 and 850 per mound (every 40 kilogram) adding that they were transplanting seedling of Transplanted Aman rice on the same land.
Talking to BSS, noted rice scientist Dr Md Abdul Mazid, who got the Independence Award 2018 Medal (food security) this year, said cultivation of Aus rice should be increased further to increase additional rice production amid changing climate.
“We have to switch over to farming less irrigation water consuming crops like Aus rice using unused seasonal rainwater during the off season as a substitute cereal crop to costly Boro rice farming to increase rice production for food security,” Mazid said.
