Drought-like situation deals major blow to Aman plantation
Wednesday, 22 July 2009
S M Jahangir
An unusual drought-like situation is dealing a major blow to the current 'Aman' plantation especially in the country's northern region, risking the achievement of bringing 5.8-million hectares under cultivation, official sources said.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) reported a nearly 60 per cent less than the normal plantation of Aman crop this year as farmers across the northern areas, the country's major rice growing zone, are still unable to plant their crop due to scanty rainfall.
"Dearth of rainfall is taking its toll on Aman plantation in most northern districts…If the situation prolongs, it may have a catastrophic impact on the country's major crop," a senior DAE officail said Tuesday.
According to field-level information, many of the rice cultivators in the region have already lost their seedlings in absence of rainfall while others are trying to keep their plants alive by pumping waters from shallow tube- wells.
Rice fields of many farmers, especially those who have already broadcasted their Aman crop, are drying up as there is not enough rainfall, the information revealed.
Although some farmers are using deep or shallow tube-wells for irrigating their rice fileds, most of the marginal framers are not in a position to bear such additional irrigation costs, agri-officials told the FE.
The Met office source, however, said although the rainy season has set, the rainfall was still much lower in recent days than that of last year.
"A 46 per cent shortage of rainfall has been recorded in Rajshahi division until July 20, 2009 compared with the same time of last year," an official of Dhaka Met Office said.
He further said: "We are expecting some rainfall in the country's northern areas within the next few days."
Referring to the DAE's Field Service Wing, a senior Agriculture Ministry officail said around 10 per cent of the targeted land has so far come under the plantation of broadcasted-aman (B-Aman) across the country's northern region.
The DAE had earlier earmarked nearly 2.2 million hectares of land to come under Aman cultivation in 16 northern districts for the current season.
Taking the prevailing drought-like-situation into account, the ministry has already asked the DAE to assess its possible impact on the current Aman cultivation and submit a detail report to it shortly, said the officail.
He also mentioned that top officials of the Field Service Wing (FSW) are now visiting different parts of the country's northern region to see the impact of the prevailing dry spell.
"After receiving their (FSW) report, the ministry is expected to take necessary steps on how to deal with the emerging natural problem," said the officail.
Agriculturists and experts, on the other hand, have cast their doubts over the attainment of this year's Aman cultivation target provided the current drought-like situation prolongs.
"If the plantation of aman crop is delayed in absence of rainfall, then it will affect the per hectare yield, and as result, production of the country's major crop may fall short of the target," said an agri-officail.
Usually, the B-aman can be planted until the mid August of every year, the officail said, adding transplantation of the paddy beyond that time causes significant losses to its yield.
The DAE had earlier fixed the country's rice production target at 12.7 million tonnes for this season, the DAE officials said.
An unusual drought-like situation is dealing a major blow to the current 'Aman' plantation especially in the country's northern region, risking the achievement of bringing 5.8-million hectares under cultivation, official sources said.
The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) reported a nearly 60 per cent less than the normal plantation of Aman crop this year as farmers across the northern areas, the country's major rice growing zone, are still unable to plant their crop due to scanty rainfall.
"Dearth of rainfall is taking its toll on Aman plantation in most northern districts…If the situation prolongs, it may have a catastrophic impact on the country's major crop," a senior DAE officail said Tuesday.
According to field-level information, many of the rice cultivators in the region have already lost their seedlings in absence of rainfall while others are trying to keep their plants alive by pumping waters from shallow tube- wells.
Rice fields of many farmers, especially those who have already broadcasted their Aman crop, are drying up as there is not enough rainfall, the information revealed.
Although some farmers are using deep or shallow tube-wells for irrigating their rice fileds, most of the marginal framers are not in a position to bear such additional irrigation costs, agri-officials told the FE.
The Met office source, however, said although the rainy season has set, the rainfall was still much lower in recent days than that of last year.
"A 46 per cent shortage of rainfall has been recorded in Rajshahi division until July 20, 2009 compared with the same time of last year," an official of Dhaka Met Office said.
He further said: "We are expecting some rainfall in the country's northern areas within the next few days."
Referring to the DAE's Field Service Wing, a senior Agriculture Ministry officail said around 10 per cent of the targeted land has so far come under the plantation of broadcasted-aman (B-Aman) across the country's northern region.
The DAE had earlier earmarked nearly 2.2 million hectares of land to come under Aman cultivation in 16 northern districts for the current season.
Taking the prevailing drought-like-situation into account, the ministry has already asked the DAE to assess its possible impact on the current Aman cultivation and submit a detail report to it shortly, said the officail.
He also mentioned that top officials of the Field Service Wing (FSW) are now visiting different parts of the country's northern region to see the impact of the prevailing dry spell.
"After receiving their (FSW) report, the ministry is expected to take necessary steps on how to deal with the emerging natural problem," said the officail.
Agriculturists and experts, on the other hand, have cast their doubts over the attainment of this year's Aman cultivation target provided the current drought-like situation prolongs.
"If the plantation of aman crop is delayed in absence of rainfall, then it will affect the per hectare yield, and as result, production of the country's major crop may fall short of the target," said an agri-officail.
Usually, the B-aman can be planted until the mid August of every year, the officail said, adding transplantation of the paddy beyond that time causes significant losses to its yield.
The DAE had earlier fixed the country's rice production target at 12.7 million tonnes for this season, the DAE officials said.