Full-swing Aman harvesting underway in Sylhet division

SYLHET (Gopalganj), Dec 25: Aman paddy harvesting is continuing amid avid enthusiasm among farmers in Sylhet division as well as Gopalganj district with already 38 per cent and 57 per cent crops reportedly yielded respectively.
Sources said farmers in Syhet division are getting a good harvest of Aman paddy this season despite repeated bouts of flood that occurred during the last monsoon.
Many of the peasants like Akbar Mia of Turukbag in Golapganj upazila of Sylhet said they expect a good yield of Aman paddy though frequent spells of flood shuttered their hopes this year.
Over 38 per cent of crops has been harvested in the division so far, informed an official of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) ,Sylhet, saying harvest of the much-desired crop will get full impetus in the next week.
The DAE, Sylhet Divisional Office's additional director Kazi Mujibur Rahman said paddy on 158,123 hectares, about 38.28 per cent of the total land cultivated with Aman, has been harvested in Sylhet division.
It includes 41,870 hectares in Sylhet district (29 per cent) while it is 41,174 hectares (42 per cent) in Moulvibazar and 37,556 hectares (43 per cent) in Habiganj district. In Sunamganj, paddy on 37,573 hectares (45.50 per cent) has so far been harvested.
Total 428,123 hectares of land were brought under T Aman cultivation in the region.
A report of the DAE shows that floods have badly damaged Aman paddy on 14,877 hectares of land in the division this year.
Abdul Hasib of Golapganj upazila said farmers had experienced worst because of floods from May to July this year.
But they had cultivated Aman paddy in a larger area after the floodwater receded. Many areas, however, got sediments, which helped yield of better crop.
Trading of T-Aman paddy has started in the local markets on a limited scale and it will get a momentum in a couple of weeks, said trader Belal Mia of Companiganj upazila on Tuesday.
DAE officials said the region was worst hit by floods but after the floodwater receded, the farmers started cultivating paddy.
Besides, some of the new paddy varieties, including some invented by the BINA, were well accepted by the farmers.
Bina dhan-16, Bina dhan-17 etc are the most popular among the short- duration paddy varieties, they said.
Farmers in a good number in Sunamganj district cultivated these for early harvest. They are hopeful of getting a bumper yield this season.
Farmer Muhibur Rahman of Biswanath upazila also said many of the farmers in their area have started harvesting Aman paddy. It would be completed in weeks, he said, adding a very good yield has already been got although there had been devastation by floods last monsoon.
Our Gopalganj correspondent reports: Harvesting of Aman paddy has began full swing in the district and about 57 per cent crop has already been harvested.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Gopalganj, the government set a target to cultivate Amon paddy on 12,765 hectares on land in the district this season.
With Upasi, HYV and local varieties of the paddy, production target was set at 32,550 tonnes.
Ajgor Sikder (48), a farmer of Kutibari village in Suktail union of sadar upazila said, he cultivated Aman paddy's 'BRRI-87' variety on his five acres (500 decimals) of land this year.
"Harvesting has begun and I've got 300 maunds of paddy from my field, whose market price is about Tk 3,90,000. My total production cost was Tk 1,75,000," Ajgor said.
Md. Mahbub, sub-assistant agriculture officer (SAAO) of Suktail union under Sadar upazila, told the FE Aman is a good and short-duration paddy whose production cost is very low and farmers highly benefit from its cultivation. The market price of the paddy is also satisfactory. Current price of Aman paddy per maund is Tk 1,300 to Tk 1,400.
He added cultivating Aman paddy on one acre of land cost farmers Tk35,000 and they got about 60 maunds of yield, of which market price is about Tk 81,000.
As a result, farmers in the region have been happy with the production, SAAO Mahbub said.
Piru Ukil (45), a farmer at Paikderdanga village in Suktail union under Sadar upazila, said he cultivated Aman paddy of 'BRRI Dhan-130' variety on four acres (400 decimals) of land this year and got 240 maunds of paddy from his field. Total market value of the produce will be about Tk 3,24,000.
Mafroza Akther, upazila agriculture officer (UAO), Gopalganj Sadar, told the FE a total of 3,890 hectares of land were brought under Aman cultivation in the upazila this year.
Total production target was set at 9,920 tonnes (MT) and about 31,120 farmers were involved in the farming.
"This year Aman paddy production is very good in Sadar upazila because our field workers like Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officer (SAAO) are continuing monitoring on cultivation of the crop," said the UAO.
Advices to farmers and supply of farming inputs besides timely rainfall played key roles, the UAO added.
Abdul Kadir Sarder, deputy director of the DAE, Gopalganj, told the FE a total of 12,765 hectares of land were brought under Aman farming in five upazilas of the district this season.
About 58 per cent Aman paddy has already been harvested in the district. The production is satisfactory and growers are too much happy.
The DD added Aman paddy is a traditional crop for farmers in this region.

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