RANGPUR, Aug 23 (BSS): The farmers of Rangpur division are very happy getting bumper output of the indigenous Parija rice as an additional Aus crop this season.
With the assistance of RDRS Bangladesh, a non-government organisation (NGO), a total of 2,250 farmers cultivated Parija rice on 2,250 bighas of land in Rangpur division after harvesting wheat, maize, tobacco and others crops during the last Rabi season.
Agriculture and Environment Coordinator of the NGO Mamunur Rashid told the news agency today that the farmers have completed Parija rice harvest to produce 1,200 tonnes of paddy with excellent yield rate of 3.8 tonnes per hectare on an average this time.
He said farming of the eco-friendly Parija rice required no supplementary irrigation, as its plants grow superbly using seasonal rainfalls in May, June and July reducing pressure on underground water reserves.
The Parija rice can be sowed using direct seeded rice method to harvest within 90 days or 18-day old seedlings transplanted to harvest within 75 days to achieve the maximum yield under changed climate without hampering Aman cultivation.
While narrating the prospect of Parija rice, Mr Mamun said Bangladesh could become a rice-exporting nation if the indigenous rice is cultivated on 3.50 million (35 lakh) hectares of suitable land available in the country.
The farmers have been cultivating Parija rice on fallow land adopting the new 'short duration Aman rice- mustard or potato-mungbean- short duration Aus (parija) rice' cropping pattern, evolved by the RDRS Bangladesh, to get four crops annually from same land.
After harvesting Rabi crops, the farmers completed cultivation and harvest of Parija rice by mid-August and are now transplanting seedling of short duration Aman rice like BU dhan1, BINA dhan7, BRRI dhan56, BRRI dhan57 and BRRI dhan 62 on the same land.
