The farmers have already started plantation of the off-season indigenous parija rice seedlings to complete the process by this month-end everywhere in Rangpur division.
According to official sources, RDRS Bangladesh has taken an extensive programme for cultivation of the off-season, eco-friendly, short duration and indigenous variety parija rice on 3,300 bigha lands in Rangpur division this season.
Earlier, the NGO distributed 16,500 kg parija seeds among 3,300 farmers for preparing parija seedbeds in Rangpur, Gaibandha, Nilphamari, Thakurgaon, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Dinajpur and Panchagarh districts.
Talking to BSS today, Agriculture and Environment Coordinator of RDRS Bangladesh Mamunur Rashid said the farmers have already prepared their parija seedbeds and begun the seedling transplantation from Tuesday last.
Under the programme, 1,900 farmers are cultivating parija crop adopting the early Aman rice-mustard-mug bean-parija cropping pattern evolved by RDRS Bangladesh and 1,400 farmers after harvesting wheat, tobacco, maize and potato this season.
“We have taken an expanded programme for parija farming as Aus crop during the off season period between Boro and Aman cultivations as a part of our efforts to adapt with climate change impacts by keeping agri-productions increasing,” he mentioned.
He said each of the beneficiary farmers is cultivating parija rice in one bigha land using of the low-cost and latest technologies and supplied 16,500 kg seeds by RDRS Bangladesh along with necessary training and supports this time.
Consultant of International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Bangladesh Dr MG Neogi said parija cultivation requires no supplementary irrigation as its plants grow well making the best use of unused seasonal rain waters during the months of May, June and July.
He said the crop can be harvested in only 75 days with 3.5 tonnes average yield rate per hectare after cultivation during the off season between late May and mid-August when fields remain fallow after Boro harvest and before plantation of T-Aman seedlings.
Citing statistics, Dr Neogi said there are 35 lakh hectares suitable land in Bangladesh for farming parija to produce additional 90 lakh tonnes of the cereal crop annually for ensuring national food security despite adverse climate change impacts.
Farmers Abdus Samad, Mohammed Ali and Sunil Kumar said harvest of parija generally completes by mid-August without facing floods paving way for transplantation of Aman seedlings timely to get three paddy harvests annually in the same land.
