Early Aman brings profits to farmers

Farmers in many parts of the country have started harvesting early variety of Aman crop, bringing profits to the peasants, farmers and officials said.
The farming community in the north, south and Haor regions in the eastern parts is now busy harvesting and marketing of paddy.
Farmers and traders of Mokam (local market of raw agro produces) said the newly-collected paddy is being sold at Tk 750-800 per maund (40 kg) in Rangpur, Bogra, Kustia, Sunamganj.
Md Jahangir Alam, a farmer at Modhupur village in Baliadangi upazila under Thakurgaon district, said that harvest has started few days back in his area.
He said he has collected paddy from five bighas (a bigha equals to 33 decimal) of land out of his 10 so far.
"Production is very good as we are getting 20-22 maunds at per bigha," he said.
He admitted that they were getting at least Tk 50 profit at per maund.
Newly harvested paddy is being sold at Tk 760-770 per maund in the Mokams, he said.
"The price of straw is also very high this year, which may give us additional profit," he said.
Deputy director of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Thakurgaon district Bhupen Kumar Mondal said that 0.142 million hectares of land has been brought under Aman farming in the current financial year (FY'15).
Farmers on nearly 13,000 hectares of land have cultivated early Aman varieties like Bina-7, Brridhan-33 this year, he said.
DAE deputy director at Gaibandha district Meer Md Abdur Razzaque said that farmers who cultivated Briidhan-62 and Bina-7 have begun harvest and the production is good.
He said harvest of other varieties will also begin in a few days excluding the flood-hit areas where farmers were forced to plant seedling late.
Upazila Agriculture Officer at Nandigram in Bogra district Md Moshedul Hoque said that paddy of different varieties is being sold at Tk 760 to 800 per maund in Ranbagha and Kunderhat Mokams.
He said newly harvested Miniket variety paddy is selling at Tk800 per maund, Bina-7 at Tk760-780 per maund and Brridhan-49 at Tk750-760 per maund in the nearby haats.
However, the government announced to buy 0.3 million tonnes of rice in the Aman season at a rate of Tk 32 per kg (Tk20 per kg paddy).
Deputy Director of Monitoring Unit under DAE Rafiqul Hasan, said harvest will be start in full swing in a week.
"Only 7 per cent harvest are complete by November 1," he said.
Rice is cultivated in three seasons in Bangladesh. These are Aus, Aman and Boro. The seasons contribute 7.0 per cent, 38 per cent and 55 per cent respectively to total rice output, according to the ministry of agriculture.

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