Short duration Parija paddy can ensure food security, say experts

RANGPUR, July 24: Large-scale cultivation of indigenous Parija paddy, a variety of short duration paddy can increase rice production and also alleviate seasonal food insecurity of the country. Speakers said this on Wednesday at a farmers' field day organised on Parija paddy cutting ceremony, by RDRS Bangladesh in a field of farmer Isahak Ali at village Chargonai in Tepamadhupur union under Kawnia upazila in the district.

Principal Scientific Officer of Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute, Rangpur Dr Md. Mazharul Anowar attended the function as chief guest. While RDRS programme manager (Field Coordination) Marina Ahmed, Senior Agriculture Officer of RDRS Bangladesh Anup Kumar Ghosh, Headmaster of Chargonai Government Primary School Mazidul Islam, Journalist Sarwar Alam Mukul addressed the function as guests. Upazila vice chairman Shefali Begum presided over the ceremony.  

Speakers said cultivation of this variety of paddy during the off period between two crops, namely Boro and T-Aman, can produce about nine million tonnes of paddy against the country's annual deficit of 2.5 to 3 million tonnes.

The total annual rice deficit of the country could be addressed through Parija farming. A farmer can harvest 3 tonnes of rice on an average from one hectare of land. About 1.8 million tonnes of surplus rice can be produced on 600 thousand hectares of lands annually in the eight northern districts, they further said.   

The lands are left fallow till mid July after harvest of Boro paddy. The farmers generally start planting T-Aman seedlings on the same land from late July. They can make use of this fallow lands during the two and a half months for Parija farming to get three crops a year, Boro, Parija paddy and T-Aman instead of the two, they said.   

A large number of farm labourer in the region could have at least 20-25 day work in the farm lands. Thus the paddy can also mitigate job crisis in northern Bangladesh, they also said.

Cultivation of the paddy has gained much popularity among the farmers of the area as many farmers have cultivated it this season and are optimistic about achieving a good yield of their produce, they added.