RAJSHAHI, Oct 29, 2019 (BSS)- Despite of loss to some extent the recent
rainfall has become blessing to the transplanted Aman paddy at present in the
region including its vast Barind tract.
Local meteorological office has recorded a total of 121 millimetres
rainfall last week that has already started benefitting the standing crop in
its last ripening stage.
Bulbul Hossain, 48, a farmer of Panchandar village under Tanore Upazila,
said he has cultivated paddy on 15 bighas of land and the standing paddy are
now ripening stage. The recent rainfall will help boosting yield of the
farming fields, he hoped.
Tasiqul Islam, 53, another farmer of Chandlai village under the same
upazila, said he has paddy on 12 bighas of land and there was a need of
rainfall in the last stage. He added that the last week’s rainfall was very
time-fitting for the farming field that will contribute a lot towards
increasing yield.
He added that harvesting of the paddy will start in full-swing within the
next two weeks.
Farmers face a great water crisis in late stage of the farming that needs
supplementary irrigation on an urgent basis due to rain-less condition during
the previous years.
Islam said yield loss occurred badly if supplementary irrigation isn’t
ensured timely during the odd situation. But fortunately, this year’s
rainfall has mitigated the crisis to a greater extent.
Upazila Sub-assistant Agriculture Officer Shamsher Ali said condition of
this season’s Aman farming is, so far, good due to congenial environment and
the recent rainfall supplemented the situation to a greater extent.
Meanwhile, farming of transplanted Aman paddy has exceeded the target of
the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Rajshahi division due to
favorable weather during the current season.
Deb Dulal Dhali, Additional Director of DAE, here said the favorable
weather condition along with frequent rainfall contributed a lot towards
successful completion of Aman seedlings transplantation on time besides
exceeding the target significantly.
He said the farmers had cultivated Aman paddy on around 7.73 lakh hectares
of land in eight districts this season against the DAE’s target of 7.24 lakh
hectares creating hope of additional production of Aman paddy.
He said many of the farmers are harvesting the early and short-duration
varieties in the region.
Dr Aminul Islam, Chief Scientific Officer of Bangladesh Rice Research
Institute (BRRI), here said BRRI has developed seven modern paddy varieties
for Aman season.
The varieties like Brridhan 56, Brridhan 66, Brridhan71, Brridhan75,
Brridhan80, Brridhan87 and Brridhan90 are comparatively high yielding,
drought tolerant and takes a short time to get matured than local variety
‘Swarna’ which is prone to various diseases, he continued.
Dr Islam said farmers have been encouraged to cultivate the latest
varieties through various interventions including block demonstration, plots
projection and supplying of seed free of cost.
He also said the modern varieties have opened up door in enormous prospects
of food security along with mitigating the crises of irrigation water.