Early Aman harvest helps farm-labourers in tackling lean period in Rangpur region

RANGPUR, Oct 15 (BSS): Many farm-labourers are earning well from early harvest of short duration Aman paddy to lead a better life during the 'seasonal lean period' of 'Aswin' and 'Kartik' months in Rangpur agriculture region.
Despite the global crises caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine War, short duration Aman paddy harvest is helping small and marginal farmers and farm-labourers in tackling the 'lean period' like in the previous years.
Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said that early harvest of short duration Aman paddy began two weeks ago and will continue till November during the whole 'lean period' that has already disappeared 13 years ago.
"Early harvest of short duration Aman paddy and followed by cultivation of early winter crops on the same land are creating jobs for farm-labourers during the 'lean period' since 2010," said Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur region Mohammad Shah Alam.
The DAE has fixed a target of producing 18,07,916 tonnes of clean Aman rice (27,11,874 tonnes of paddy) from 6,15,685 hectares of land for all five districts of the region this season.
Farmers have cultivated Aman paddy on 6,15,981 hectares of land exceeding the fixed farming target by 296 hectares of land.
Of them, short duration varieties of Aman paddy have been cultivated on over 62,000 hectares of land across the region this season. Till Friday, farmers harvested short duration Aman paddy on about 10,000 hectares of land and got an excellent average yield rate of 2.70 tonnes of clean Aman rice (4.05 tonnes of paddy) per hectare of land.
Independence Award 2018 Medal (food security) winner Dr. Md. Abdul Mazid said the government started expanded cultivation of short duration Aman paddy from 2009 to create jobs for farm-labourers through early harvest during the 'lean period'.
Previously, an extreme poverty-like situation, locally called 'monga', was being created for lack of agricultural activities during the months of 'Aswin' and 'Kartik' causing untold miseries to the poor and farm-labourers even 14 years ago.
Large-scale cultivation of short duration Aman paddy has successfully eliminated 'monga', a disappeared seasonal poverty like situation during the 'lean periods' of 'Aswin' and 'Kartik' months, from the region.
"Early harvest of short duration Aman paddy followed by cultivation of subsequent winter crops on the same land till November creates huge jobs for farm-labourers during the 'lean periods' since 2010 relieving them from poverty," he said.
Talking to the news agency, local farmers said they have mostly cultivated short duration paddy varieties like BRRI dhan75, BRRI dhan71, BINA dhan17, BINA dhan16 and hybrid Hira-2, Hira-10 and Dhani Gold varieties on croplands this season.
Farmers Azizar Rahman and Narayan Chandra Sen of village Bhimpur in Taraganj upazila of Rangpur said they have already harvested short duration varieties of BINA dhan17 and got excellent yield.
"After harvesting BINA dhan17, I have already cultivated winter vegetables on the same land with a hope to earn better profits from its early harvest," said farmer Rabindra Nath of nearby village Bachhurbandha.
Farmer Ayub Ali of village Agachhatra in Pirganj upazila of Rangpur said he has cultivated hybrid Dhani Gold variety on about five acres of land.
Farmers are currently selling newly harvested paddy at rates between Taka 1,000 and Taka 1,050 per every maund and raw paddy straws produced from one bigha (33 decimals) of land at Taka 5,000 and Taka 6,000 and reaping more profits.