BSS, Rajshahi :
By virtue of favourable climatic condition, cultivation target of transplanted aman paddy has been exceeded in the region including its vast Barind tract this season predicting a good production.
The enthusiastic farmers have almost completed their transplantation activities of seedlings everywhere in eight districts under Rajshahi division amid suitable climate and sufficient rain.
Sources in the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said transplantation of T-Aman seedlings has, so far, been completed on more than 106 percent of the targeted land of 3.73 lakh hectares in Rajshahi, Naogaon, Chapainawabgonj and Natore districts.
“The favourable prevailing weather enormously helps the farmers in transplanting of T-Aman seedlings this season,” said Fazlur Rahman, Additional Director of DAE, here on Thursday.
The frequent moderate to heavy rainfalls have made the farmers busy in transplanting the seedlings and the concerned government departments including the DAE are providing all necessary assistances to the farmers. The transplanted fields are becoming green and eye-catching look everywhere in the region.
“Though there is adequate rainwater, the Barind Multipurpose Development Authorities (BMDA)is ready to provide supplementary irrigation if required,” the DAE official added.
In addition, the farmers are keeping thousands of their shallow tube wells ready for supplementary irrigation if any drought situation begins during the transplantation and farming period of the major cereal crop in the region, he said.
According to the DAE sources, the government has fixed a target of bringing 3,72,330 hectares land under the T-aman cultivation during this season.
The farmers had prepared seedbeds on more than 18,582 hectares of lands in the region this time. Till yesterday, the farmers have transplanted T-Aman seedlings on 3.95 lakh hectares.
They cultivate more than 29 high yielding, two hybrid and nine local and indigenous varieties during the Aman season and more or less 15 of those are very much popular among the farmers,said ATM Rafiqul Islam, Deputy Manager (Agriculture) of BMDA.
He said the farmers always hope for a better yield from Aman cultivation, as the cultivation of Aman paddy requires less cost compared to other crops because rain water comes as the bounty of nature.
Farmers Shariful Islam, Nur Muhammad and many others today told BSS that they are not facing any problem in plantation of T-Aman seedlings as the frequent seasonal rainfall.
The farmers are expecting to harvest the early, short duration and drought-tolerant variety T-Aman rice varieties like BRRI dhan33, BRRI dhan39, BRRI dhan56 and 57, BINA dhan7 and BU dhan1 in the region from late October.
