BSS, Rangpur :
The farmers have already started harvesting Hybrid Aman paddy at the peak hour of the ‘seasonal lean period’ creating huge jobs for the farm-labourers in Rangpur agriculture region.
According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources, the harvest will continue during the months of ‘Aswin’ and ‘Kartik’ assisting the poor farm- labourers to overcome the ‘lean period’ that has factually disappeared some eight years back.
Expanded cultivation of short duration varieties rice has already become popular in the region bringing huge success in eradicating ‘monga’ fulfilling an important pledge of the government led by Prime Minsiter Sheikh Hasina.
According to DAE sources, the farmers cultivated Aman crop in over 5.85 lakh hectares land exceeding the target of bringing 5.21 lakh hectares of land under its cultivation to produce 14 lakh tonnes rice by 64,039 hectares in the region this season.
Of them, they have cultivated short duration BRRI dhan33, BRRI dhan39, BRRI dhan56 and 57 and BINA dhan7 Aman rice varieties in 40,943 hectares of land that constitutes 7 per cent of the totally cultivated 5.85 lakh hectares of land area.
The farmers finally cultivated BRRI dhan33 rice in 9,118 hectares of land, BRRI dhan39 in 3,989 hectares, BRRI dhan56 in 3,813 hectares, BRRI dhan57 in 1,476 hectares, BRRI dhan62 in 1,757 hectares and BINA dhan7 rice in 20,790 hectares of land this season.
They have cultivated short duration Aman rice in 16,519 hectares of land in Rangpur, 4,948 hectares in Gaibandha, 5,516 hectares in Kurigram, 6,175 hectares in Lalmonirhat and 7,785 hectares of land in Nilphamari under the region.
“At this stage of harvesting, the farmers are getting 4.5 to 4.8 tonnes yield rates of Aman crop in terms of paddy per hectare,” Horticulture Specialist of the DAE Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam told BSS today.
After completing harvest of the short duration Aman rice by November next, the farmers would cultivate the subsequent early variety potato and vegetables in the same land to reap more benefits, he said.
The government took a three- year (2008-2010) Greater Rangpur Monga Mitigation Programme (GRMMP) in 2008 for large-scale farming of short duration BRRI dhan33 with early harvest during the seasonal lean period. “After assuming power in 2009, the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina put maximum emphasis on expanded farming of short duration Aman rice varieties and achieved the fixed three-year GRMMP target by 2010,” Mesbahul added.
Rangpur Regional Additional Director of the DAE Shah Alam said large-scale farming of short duration Aman rice had already become popular among in the region bringing a glaring success in permanently combating ‘monga.’
“The farmers are reaping more profits through cultivation of short duration Aman rice followed by farming of early variety winter vegetables, potato, mungbean, maize and mustard also enhancing crop intensification,” he added.
The farmers have already started harvesting Hybrid Aman paddy at the peak hour of the ‘seasonal lean period’ creating huge jobs for the farm-labourers in Rangpur agriculture region.
According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources, the harvest will continue during the months of ‘Aswin’ and ‘Kartik’ assisting the poor farm- labourers to overcome the ‘lean period’ that has factually disappeared some eight years back.
Expanded cultivation of short duration varieties rice has already become popular in the region bringing huge success in eradicating ‘monga’ fulfilling an important pledge of the government led by Prime Minsiter Sheikh Hasina.
According to DAE sources, the farmers cultivated Aman crop in over 5.85 lakh hectares land exceeding the target of bringing 5.21 lakh hectares of land under its cultivation to produce 14 lakh tonnes rice by 64,039 hectares in the region this season.
Of them, they have cultivated short duration BRRI dhan33, BRRI dhan39, BRRI dhan56 and 57 and BINA dhan7 Aman rice varieties in 40,943 hectares of land that constitutes 7 per cent of the totally cultivated 5.85 lakh hectares of land area.
The farmers finally cultivated BRRI dhan33 rice in 9,118 hectares of land, BRRI dhan39 in 3,989 hectares, BRRI dhan56 in 3,813 hectares, BRRI dhan57 in 1,476 hectares, BRRI dhan62 in 1,757 hectares and BINA dhan7 rice in 20,790 hectares of land this season.
They have cultivated short duration Aman rice in 16,519 hectares of land in Rangpur, 4,948 hectares in Gaibandha, 5,516 hectares in Kurigram, 6,175 hectares in Lalmonirhat and 7,785 hectares of land in Nilphamari under the region.
“At this stage of harvesting, the farmers are getting 4.5 to 4.8 tonnes yield rates of Aman crop in terms of paddy per hectare,” Horticulture Specialist of the DAE Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam told BSS today.
After completing harvest of the short duration Aman rice by November next, the farmers would cultivate the subsequent early variety potato and vegetables in the same land to reap more benefits, he said.
The government took a three- year (2008-2010) Greater Rangpur Monga Mitigation Programme (GRMMP) in 2008 for large-scale farming of short duration BRRI dhan33 with early harvest during the seasonal lean period. “After assuming power in 2009, the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina put maximum emphasis on expanded farming of short duration Aman rice varieties and achieved the fixed three-year GRMMP target by 2010,” Mesbahul added.
Rangpur Regional Additional Director of the DAE Shah Alam said large-scale farming of short duration Aman rice had already become popular among in the region bringing a glaring success in permanently combating ‘monga.’
“The farmers are reaping more profits through cultivation of short duration Aman rice followed by farming of early variety winter vegetables, potato, mungbean, maize and mustard also enhancing crop intensification,” he added.
