BSS, Faridpur :
A new variety of Aus paddy ‘Nerica Muetent’, being familiarized by the Agriculture Extension Department is showing high prospect in the district.
According to official sources, in Bagat and Raipur unions of Madhukhali upazila some farmers under the supervision of upazila agriculture office cultivated this new kind of imported HYV variety of Aus on demonstration plots of 10 bighas of land.
In a function held yesterday there for harvesting, it was found that the yield from the variety was double the conventional HYV Aus variety while the reaping time took only 108 days instead of 135 days required for local Aus variety.
According to Upazila Agriculture Officer (UAO) the local variety gives 8 maunds per bigha but this new variety yielded about 15 maunds. UAO Khaleda Khanam said this variety has been cultivated in the district for the first time to encourage the farmers who were frustrated with the low yield of Aus.
Farmers who made the demonstration plots said that they used 50 kgs of fertilizer, this variety is drought tolerant and requires less irrigation facilities. UAO said 6.50 metric tons of this new variety can be produced on one hectare of land.
She further said that as it takes less time for harvesting, the cultivation of transplanted Aman is very much possible after the Nerca Mutetent harvest on the same land. She added that this special program of the government will contribute much to heighten the prospect of Aus cultivation in the country.
The harvesting function was attended by the agriculture officials and huge number of farmers.
