The transplantation process of Transplanted Aman (T- Aman) rice seedling has got momentum in Rangpur Agriculture Region following recent rainfalls at most places.
Officials of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said farmers completed transplantation of T-Aman rice seedling on 93,714 hectares of land, 15.77 percent of the total targeted land area for cultivation of the crop by Wednesday.
Additional Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) at its regional office Md Moniruzzaman said farmers started transplantation of T-Aman rice seedling from the first week of this month in the region.
“However, transplantation of T-Aman rice seedling got momentum from last Sunday following rainfalls at most places though the transplantation process could not get momentum since the beginning due to lack of seasonal rainfalls,” he said.
Now, farmers require more rainfalls as many of them are using lifted underground water for transplantation of T-Aman rice seedling on their lands in Rangpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari districts under the region.
“Due to lack of adequate rainfalls, farmers have so far transplanted T-Aman rice seedling on 18,981 hectares of land using 12,255 irrigation pumps, including 53 deep tube wells, 12,201 shallow tube wells and one low lift pump in the region,” Moniruzzaman added.
Talking to BSS , Horticulture Specialist of the DAE Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam at its regional office said the government has fixed a target of producing 16.39-lakh tonnes of clean T-Aman rice from 5.94-lakh hectares of land this season for the region.
Of them, 1.30-lakh tonnes of hybrid variety T-Aman rice would be produced from 37,662 hectares of land, 14.64-lakh tonnes high yielding variety rice from 5.26-lakh hectares and 44,576 tonnes of local variety Aman rice form 29,717 hectares of land this time.
“To make the T-Aman rice farming programme successful, farmers have prepared T-Aman rice seedling on 34,872 hectares of land against requirement of preparing the same on 29,828 hectares for cultivation of the crop in 5.94-lakh hectares of land,” he said.
“The farmers have developed T-Aman rice seedling on additional 5,044 hectares of land than required for the targeted land area to meet any emergency need for re-transplantation if flood damages transplanted plants this season,” Islam added.
“The tender T-Aman rice plants, already transplanted on lands, are growing superbly following recent rainfalls,” Islam said adding that more rainfalls were required for timely completion of the seedling transplantation process.
Regional Farm Broadcasting Officer of the Agriculture Information Service Abu Sayem said the DAE, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute and other organisations have taken comprehensive steps to make the T-Aman rice farming programme successful.
“Besides, farmers have kept shallow tube wells and Barind Multipurpose Development Authorities and BADC deep tube wells ready to operate for completing T-Aman seedling transplantation timely in case of less rainfall,” Sayem added.
