Rain comes as boon for paddy, veg growers

FE Team | Published: October 15, 2018 21:56:15

RAJSHAHI, Oct 15 (BSS): The recent rainfall has become blessings for the farmers of T- Aman paddy in the region, particularly in its vast Barind tract, as they are now happy with their standing crop.
Local Meteorological Office recorded 81.3 millimetres of rainfall since early hours of Wednesday till 10.30 am of Saturday. It greatly helped the paddy fields protecting from further drying.
Nazrul Islam, Observer of the office, told BSS that there was not a single drop of rainfall in the region since September 21 to October 5 at a stretch.
Mujibur Rahman, chairman of Gogram union council under Godagari upazila in the district, said the adverse situation has pushed the farmers into a great anxiety relating to surviving their rain-fed crop. But, fortunately, the situation changed totally favourable to the farmers as the rainfall saved their crop.
Meanwhile, farmers of the region are now busy in taking care of the transplanted Aman paddy in their field. If such favourable climatic condition prevails, farmers are hoping of a bumper production of the crop.
Farmers informed, though the region faced a drought like condition during the planting season, there were sufficient and adequate rainfall later on which helped a smooth growth of Aman plant.
Now, farmers were busy for taking care of their fields including eradication of herbs, spraying of insecticides and using of fertilisers.
The price of paddy being satisfactory, more farmers cultivated paddy this season and thus surpassing the target by some 48,000 hectares.
Zaidur Rahman, a farmer of Karnahar village under Paba upazila informed, he has cultivated Aman on 35 bighas of land.
The price of paddy being satisfactory this year, many farmers of the area have increased the amount of Aman cultivation.
Moreover, after sufficient rainfall, there is no need of irrigation in the field.
Agriculturist Monjure Maula informed, farmers are getting a satisfactory price of Aman paddy, so the target of cultivation of Aman has been surpassed the target this season.
According to a source of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), the target of Aman cultivation had been set to bring 6,90,141 hectares whereas actually the paddy was cultivated on 7,37,903 hectares of land in the division.
Of those, 7.10 lakh hectares of land were brought under high yielding varieties, 18,389 hectares under local varieties and 9,705 hectares under hybrid varieties.
The DAE here has set a target of producing around 18.67-lakh tonnes of transplanted Aman rice in the region including its vast Barind tract during the current season.
Additional Director of DAE SM Mustafizur Rahman told BSS today that the rice is expected to be produced from around 0.73 million hectares of land in the districts of Rajshahi, Naogaon, Chapainawabganj, Natore, Pabna, Sirajganj, Bogura and Joypurhat.
Bangladesh Agricultural Department Corporation (BADC) and the Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) supplied quality seed among the growers to achieve a good yield.
Our Magura correspondent adds: Rain has come as a boon for the paddy and vegetable growers in the district.
Sources said drought-like situation was prevailing in the district from the early September. The situation was hampering Aman and winter vegetable cultivation.
But recent rainfall was a relief for the cultivators.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Magura, sources said over 58,430 hectares of land have been brought under the farming of Aman paddy and some 3,798 hectares under vegetable cultivation.
Mrinal Kanti of Beroil village under Magura Sadar said he is growing Aman on two bigha of land this season.
He said, "My paddy field came under pest attack due to drought-like situation."
Nitay Pada Biswas of Madhabpur village said his cabbage field was turning into yellowish due to lack of rain.
DAE official Sohrab Hossein growers are happy over the recent rain. Paddy and vegetable peasants are now expecting a bumper yield.