Tangail, Jamalpur growers start Aman harvest amid hope of bumper yield

TANGAIL, Nov 12: Growers across the district have started Aman harvest with the hope of getting a bumper production.

The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Tangail, official sources said some 97,709 hectares of land in all the 12 upazilas of the district were brought under the production of Aman paddy with the production target of 2,13,719 tonnes.

Sub-assistant agi officer of DAE Nargis Akhter said, "We are expecting a good Aman yield this season. Good production will help the growers recover the losses they incurred for flood."

Trader Abdul Mannan Miah of Mamudpur village under Delduar upazila said newly-harvested Aman is being sold at Tk 750 to Tk 800 per maund which was Tk 1,000 to Tk 1,300 last season.

Farmer Anisur Rahman of Kazipur village under Sadar upazila said, "We are getting good paddy output this year for favourable weather."

Deputy Director of DAE Abdur Razzaque said paddy harvest will complete by the end of the current month. Farmers are happy over the yield, he added.

"We tried our level best to support the peasants", he said.

BSS adds: In Jamalpur, farmers in the district have started harvesting T- Aman in the district from the first week of November.

According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) office farmers already harvested T- Aman on 5,295 hectares of land of short duration variety till November 11.

DAE official said farmers cultivated T- Aman on 1,07,900 hectares of land against the target on 99,706 hectares in all the seven upazilas of the district this year.

Farmers cultivated 58 varieties of T-Aman paddy in the district this year. Of the T-Aman varieties, farmers cultivated 27 high yielding variety on 75,650 hectares of land, 11 high breed on 15,590 hectares and 20 local varieties on 16,660 hectares of land.

Most of the farmers cultivated T-Aman of Dhani Gold variety on 10,307 hectares of land, AZ-7006 variety on 3,035 hectares, BRRI Dhan-32 on 6,725 hectares, BRRI Dhan-49 on 25,656 hectares, BRRI Dhan-51 on 5,420 hectares, BRRI Dhan-52 on 6,067 hectares, Pazam on 9,533 hectares, Hori Dhan on 9,705 hectares, Guti Swarna on 1,975 hectres, BINA Dhan-7 on 2,593 hectares, Gainja on 9,530 hectares, Nayaraj on 1,100 hectares and Haloi on 1,235 hectares.

Besides, farmers also cultivated aromatic rice like Kalozira on 615 hectares, Tulshimala on 553 hectares, Chinisagar on 235 hectares, BRRI Dhan-34 on 105 hectatrs and Naizarshail on 325 hectares.

Deputy Director of DAE, Md Aminul Islam said farmer are expecting good yield of T-Aman this year. Harvesting of the paddy will be completed by first week of December, he added.

Our Sylhet correspondent adds: T-Aman farmers in all the four districts of Sylhet division are expecting a good yield this season.

Sources said harvest of the crop has started in some areas but it would take a few more weeks to start harvest in a big way.

The farmers were very much active in increasing the cultivable lands this year, the officials said. This is why the DAE's target has surpassed, they added.

Additional Director of DAE, divisional office, Md Altabur Rahman said, "We expect the production target would be achieved. Although there had been some sporadic reports of pest attack in some lower pockets it would not affect largely."

The division's target of rice production is set at 973,793 tonnes.

It includes 3197,832 tonnes of rice in Sylhet, 2,65,434 tonnes in Moulvibazar, 2,05,060 tonnes in Habiganj and 183,517 tonnes in Sunamganj district.

Some 500,175 hectares of land have been brought under paddy farming, said the official.