Bumper Aman output likely

Yasir Wardad The country is expecting another "bumper" Aman output this year, but farmers stand to gain little as the price is lower compared to the production cost, farmers and officials said. Aman production totalled 12.7 million tonnes last year, while this year's output is set to touch to 13.3 million tonnes this year, DAE said. Production cost has increased by 13.6 per cent this season, although the country has a target to produce 13.3 million tonnes of Aman rice this season over 5.6 million hectares, according to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE). The Field Service Wing of the DAE said that T- Aman (Transplanted Aman) was cultivated on over 5.24 million hectares, surpassing the target of 5.21 million hectares. The plantation of B-Aman (Broadcast Aman) also exceeded the target of 0.4 million hectares by 15 per cent and the DAE got nearly 0.7 million tonnes of rice, primary data showed. DAE officials said nearly 40 per cent of T-Aman harvest have completed in Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions. Eight districts of Rangpur region has achieved acreage of 1.08 million hectares and output is expected to reach 2.9 million tonnes against the target of 2.71 million tonnes, additional director of the DAE Rangpur Region Dr Kalidas Debnath said. Rajshahi region's eight districts achieved a 0. 74 million hectares of acreage and are set to get 2.0 million tonnes of production against the target of 1.92 million tonnes, an official of DAE Rajshahi Region said. Md Mamunur Rashid, a deputy director of the DAE at Nilphamari, told the FE that the farmers are getting nearly 2.66 to 2.77 tonnes of rice per hectare from varieties such as BINA-7, BRRI-39, and BRRI-33. Director of the Field Service Wing of DAE Md Eunus Ali said that initial supply of agricultural input, quality HYV seed, and a timely rain resulted in a bumper production this season. The harvest will be completed by the end of December as farmers replant the crop due to flood in September, DAE officials said. Farmers are complaining that the price in local mokams (market of local raw agricultural produce) is much lower compared to their production costs. Price of newly harvested Aman paddy was selling between Tk 600 to 650 per maund (40 kg) across Rangpur and Rajshahi regions at mokams, compared with Tk 680 to Tk 720 last year. Latiful Islam Nayan, a farmer of Thakurganj union at Dimla upazila under Nilphamari district produced Aman in his five 'Done' (1 done=30 decimal) land and it cost him Tk 6,000 to 6,500 per 'Done'. Talking to the FE over phone, he said that he got nearly 9 to 10 maunds of paddy at per done, up from half a maund last year. "I harvested paddy of two 'dones' of land before Eid-ul-Azha and got only Tk 530 to 550 for per maund." He noted that the price has increased a little bit, but still lower compared to their production costs. Mr Nayan said that this price decline would force many farmers to borrow more to produce potato and Boro rice. DAE statistics show that the cost of Aman rice is Tk 25 per kg, up from Tk 22 per kg during last season. DAE officials said that cost of agricultural inputs including fertiliser and labourer led to the increase in price. Agricultural experts have voiced concern over price fall saying this will discourage farmers to boost production. They have also urged the government to set price and procurement target of Aman rice to protect farmers.