RANGPUR, Sept 11 (BSS): Despite facing drought-like conditions caused by low rainfall during the early stages of seedling transplantation, farmers in the Rangpur agricultural region have surpassed the target for Aman rice cultivation by 0.04 per cent. According to officials from the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), transplantation of Aman rice seedlings is expected to be completed by September 15. Recent rainfall has significantly improved the condition of the tender Aman rice plants, which are now growing vigorously-bringing optimism to farmers across the region.
Farmers are making dedicated efforts to nurture their crops, diligently removing weeds and applying the necessary pesticides across large areas of farmland, which now present a lush and vibrant appearance.
DAE officials reported that Aman rice has been transplanted on 620,678 hectares of land so far-reaching 100.04 per cent of the season's target as of Wednesday.
"Farmers are expected to bring little more land under Aman rice farming as seedling transplantation will continue until September 15 next," Acting Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur region Md Sirajul Islam told the news agency on Thursday.
The DAE has fixed a target of producing 20,10,505 tonnes of clean Aman rice (30,15,757 tonnes in terms of paddy) from 6,20,430 hectares of land for all five districts in the region this season.
The target includes production of 16,85,683 tonnes of high yielding varieties of Aman rice from 5,24,070 hectares, 3,14,162 tonnes of hybrid varieties from
85,450 hectares and 20,660 tonnes of local varieties of Aman rice from 10,910
hectares of land. The government through the DAE distributed high-quality Aman rice seeds and fertilisers among small and marginal farmers as incentives to assist them in cultivating the crop smoothly.
Besides, steps had been taken to prepare the seedbeds for late varieties of
Aman rice in highlands and floating seedbeds in low-lying areas so that there
was no shortage of seedlings due to floods, if any in August and September.
The field-level agricultural officers have been providing all necessary support and latest technology to farmers to ensure successful cultivation of Aman rice in this region," Islam added. Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation, Barind Multipurpose Development Authorities and farmers have put irrigation pumps into operation for transplantation of Aman rice seedlings to provide supplementary irrigation to Aman rice fields.
A number of farmers of different villages of Rangpur said their tender Aman rice lants were growing superbly amid favourable climatic conditions.
Farmers Manik Mia of Darshona village, Ariful Haque of Najirdigar village and Isahaque Ali of Kathihara village in Rangpur Sadar upazila said their growing Aman rice plants would not require supplementary irrigation following frequent seasonal rainfalls.
