Rangpur farmers joyous with Nabanno Utsab

Our Correspondent RANGPUR, Dec 25: An aroma of new paddy fills the air as Aman paddy harvesting has almost been completed in Rangpur division. Families of farmers are now celebrating 'Nabanno Utsab' which is arranged after bringing the new Aman paddy home from fields following harvesting. It is usually held from last week of Bangla month Agrahayan and continues till Poush. During the time different kinds of cakes, milk rice etc are prepared with new paddy. Folk songs are sung by female members of family while the children enjoy the day singing and dancing all in a festive mood. The poor and marginal families are also trying to share the joy of festivity but with a difference. Children of the marginal families collect the scattered paddy from fields to arrange the 'Nabanna' at their houses. They go to paddy fields after the harvesting is over with jute or polythene bags, plates, bamboo made baskets to collect the leftover paddy from crop lands. Poor children like Amin, Hasanur, Bablu, Roshidul, Motin and Shanti of Talimgonj village under Mithapukur upazila in Rangpur district told this FE correspondent that they will also arrange 'Nabanna' at their house. They said that they get 25 Kg to 35 Kg paddy each throughout the season. They also said that they sell a portion of the collected paddy to buy other ingredients to prepare cakes. Additional director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Rangpur Mohsin Ali said the farmers have almost completed the harvest of Aman paddy except some areas in Gaibandha district with excellent production of all varieties of the paddy in the region. The DAE sources said Aman paddy was cultivated on 10,36,045 hectares of land in 8 districts under Rangpur division during the current season with a production target of 27,84,897 metric tonnes of Paddy and the production might exceed the target, sources added. BSS reports: Participants at a meeting yesterday stressed for proper estimation of sector-wise social risks being caused by the ongoing climate change to cope with the situation under adverse situations. Agriculture is one the most affected sectors and the farmers should be provided with necessary assistance, knowledge and training to keep agri-productions increasing despite the severest impacts of climate change, they said. The were addressing the meeting titled 'Estimation of Social Risks due to Climate Change' organised by RDRS Bangladesh at Singhimari union parishad in Hatibandha upazila of Lalmonirhat district. Singhimari union chairman MG Mostafa attended the meeting as the chief guest while union member Abdur Rahman in the chair.