Harvest of Transplanted-Aman (T-Aman) paddy, a high valued crop, has started in all the seven upazilas in Gaibandha. This year the farmers are expecting to get a bumper harvest from the crop.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) officials told the Dhaka Tribune the department had set a target of T-Aman cultivation on a total of 122,227 hectares of land in the district this year with the production target of 464,000 metric tonnes of paddy.
The target was exceeded and the farmers of the district cultivated the crop on almost 128,000 hectares of land this year due to favourable climate conditions.
The T-Aman paddy has already ripened and paddy fields across the district are vibrant with a bright golden look. The growers have started harvesting the crop amid much enthusiasm with the hopes of getting bumper production this season.
In order to make the cultivation a success, Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation and Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) distributed high quality Aman seeds to the farmers of the district at fair prices.
Besides, different state-run commercial banks including Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank disbursed agricultural loans on easy terms to the low-income and marginal farmers of the district to help them cultivate the T-Aman paddy on their land this season.
Crops production specialist of DAE Golam Mostafa said favourable climate conditions, proper distribution of high quality seeds by BADC and BMDA and timely supply of fertilisers and other agricultural inputs to the growers are the reasons behind the bumper production of the crop.
Apart from this, DAE also provided training programmes to the farmers of the district for adopting modern technologies of paddy cultivation, crop management and preservation of quality seeds, said Zulfiqer Ali Haider, district training officer of DAE.
M Amir Ali, a farmer of Putimari of Shaghata upazila, said they were expecting bumper production of Aman paddy this year. He also said the farmers’ community was very happy as they were getting fair prices against the produce in the local markets this year compared to last year.
Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, Deputy Director of DAE Mir Abdur Razzak said 11% harvest of the paddy had already been completed and the full harvest would be launched here within seven days.
The farmers had been advised to farm various types of crops like mustard, potatoes and maize on their land just after harvesting T-aman paddy to earn additional economical profit so that no land remains fallow about four months without reason till starting Boro cultivation on March 15, he said.
