Agriculture experts urged the farmers to cultivate Pariza Paddy, an indigenous variety, on high and medium high land to get additional crop during the off-season.
Experts said after the harvesting of early variety of Boro paddy in late April the land remains vacant for about three months till starting of T-Aman paddy cultivation on the same land at the end of July.
They gave this opinion while addressing an opinion exchange meeting entitled “Importance of Pariza Paddy cultivation in Aus Season in Food Security” at Barmatat Village under Laxipur Union of Sadar Upazila of the district on Monday after visiting Pariza paddy field.
Agriculture and Environment unit of RDRS Bangladesh, a NGO organized the function under its core programme with financial support of Church of Sweden.
Deputy Director (DD) of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Mir Abdur Razzak addressed the function as the chief guest.
Programme Manager of RDRS Bangladesh Porsia Rahman in the chair. Assistant Agriculture Officer of the organization Saiful Islam and farmer Ripon Miah also addressed the function among others.
As the land remains fallow during the middle period between Boro and Aman season, the farmers could easily produce short duration Parija Paddy in natural rainwater on the uncultivated land to earn economic benefit, experts said.
This farming could create working opportunities to the farm day labors during the lean period in a bid to pass their days without economic troubles side by side with helping achieve country’s food security, they added. DD of DAE Mir Abdur Razzak said the paddy could be harvested in 90 days after sowing seeds by using Direct Seeded Rice method or in 75 days after transplanting 20-day old seedlings by August 15 before transplantation of T- Aman seedlings on the same land.
There is a bright prospect of Pariza Paddy cultivation in the district and its neighboring region as its soil and climate is very suitable for farming the variety, he also said.
