BSS, Rangpur :
Harvest of short duration Aman rice varieties continues in full swing creating huge jobs for the farm-labourers and poor in the northern districts at this peak hour of the seasonal lean period, official sources said.
The harvest began from the month of ‘Aswin’ last and will continue till the end of ‘Kartik’ to assist the poor and farm- labourers in overcoming the seasonal ‘monga’ that has already disappeared from the northern districts six years back.
Horticulture Specialist Khondker M Mesbahul Islam of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said expanded cultivation of short duration rice varieties has already become popular to combat seasonal ‘monga’ successfully since 2008.
Executive Director of Northbengal Institutive of Development Studies Dr Syed Samsuzzaman said there is no ‘monga’ for the sixth consecutive year this time following expanded farming of short duration rice and government’s huge social safety-net programmes.
Early harvest of short duration rice and farming of subsequent early potato and winter vegetables in the same land have been creating massive working opportunities for the farm- and day-labourers during the lean period of ‘Aswin’ and ‘Kartik’ months.
According to the officials and experts in the DAE and different NGOs, the farmers are getting average yield rate of 4.5 tonnes paddy per hectare of different short duration rice varieties.
The farmers have cultivated short duration rice in about 1.75 lakh hectares land this year in the northern districts and they will cultivate subsequent early variety potato and winter vegetables in the same land after completing harvest by the middle of next month.
The farmers have mostly cultivated short duration rice varieties like BINA dhan7, BRRI dhan33, BRRI dhan39, BRRI dhan56, BRRI dhan57, BU1 dhan, BRRI dhan62 and different short duration hybrid rice varieties this season.
Farmers Saiful Islam, Abdul Kader and Rabi Murdy of different villages said they have already harvested their cultivated short duration and drought tolerant BRRI dhan56 rice in between 100 and 120 days to get over 4.5 tonnes paddy yield per hectare.
Farmers Hazrat Ali, Omar Farooque, Abinash and Amal Chandra said they have harvested short duration and zinc-enriched BRRI dhan-62 rice in between 90 to 100 days to get over 4 tonne paddy yield per hectare.
Farmers Akbar Hossain, Shachindra Nath and Tayeb said they have got 4.8 tonnes paddy yield per hectare after harvesting short duration BRRI dhan33 in between 100 and 110 days to get 4.6 tonne paddy yield per hectare.
Besides, farmers Kashem, Nasim, Nur Alam and Alamgir have got average yield of 5.5 to 6 tonnes paddy per hectare after harvesting of their short duration BINA dhan7 rice variety in between 105 and 120 days.
Agriculture and Environment Coordinator Mamunur Rashid of RDRS Bangladesh said expanded cultivation of short duration rice varieties has brought a revolutionary success in combating ‘monga’ in recent years in the northern districts.
Associate Director -Agriculture of BRAC International (South Asia & Africa) Dr MA Mazid said expanded cultivation of short duration rice followed by farming of early potato, winter vegetables, mug, maize and mustard increases crop intensity bringing more profits to the farmers also reducing risks of natural calamities.
