Transplanted Aman farming on rise in Sylhet region

SYLHET, Aug 4: Farmers in Sylhet region are now engaged in cultivating Transplant Aman on 3,54,790 hectares of land this season. The target of production has been set at 869,345 tonnes, official sources informed Thursday.
The total area includes, 1,38,433 hectares in Sylhet, 99,914 in Moulvibaar, 64,956 in Habiganj and the rest 51,487 hectares in Sunamganj district.
So far, the crop has been cultivated on 33,109 hectares including 31,892 hectares under high yielding varieties and the rest 1217 hectares under local varieties in the said districts.
With view to ensuring better yield, in addition the farmers' own stock, the government has supplied 1801 tonnes of seeds of different HYV varieties as 1903 tonnes were sanctioned through BADC till last week.
Dr. Md. Mamun Ur Rashid, Deputy Director of DAE, Sylhet divisional office told this correspondent with a favourable weather at the beginning of farming season, the Transplanted Aman crop will get a good yield in the region. The farming area has also got a rise this year, he said against the last year's farming area.
In general the farmers are also showing their interest in increasing the farming area while per hectare yield will be higher due to use of quality seeds and fertilisers, the official noted.
Over 500 demonstration plots, using quality seeds and fertilisers are also being set in all the 4 districts to woo the farmers in modern farming, the official added.
Last year, the farmers suffered huge crop loss due to insufficient rains at the season's beginning, excessive rains and repeated flash floods later etc. More than 30,000 hectares of T-Aman paddy were totally damaged while it was cultivated on over 3,73,000 hectares in the Sylhet division.  
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