RAJSHAHI, Nov 28, 2021 (BSS)- The government has set a target of
procuring over 1.06 lakh tonnes of aman rice from all eight districts in
Rajshahi division during the current season.

     Under the procurement drive, the department of food has been procuring
rice at Taka 40 per kilogram since November 7 last like other parts of the
country.

     "We have procured 2,904.54 tones of boiled rice so far," said Faruque
Hossain Patwary, Regional Controller of Food, adding contract has been signed
with 3,765 mills setting target to procure 98,031.92 tonnes of rice until
February 28, 2022.

     He also said they will procure 2,904 tonnes of rice from the growers
directly.

     Target has also been set to procure 43,404 tonnes of paddy at Taka 27
per kilogram until the same stipulated time, Faruque Patwary added.

     Meanwhile, harvesting of the transplanted aman paddy is going on in full
swing everywhere in the division generating seasonal employment scopes of
scores of unemployed people at present.

     Farmers are also happy after getting satisfactory yield of the newly
harvested aman paddy which has also generated scopes of ensuring food
security. DAE officials said suitable climate conditions along with frequent
rainfall during the farming season unleashed the hope of getting desired
production of T-aman paddy.

     Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has set a target of producing
more than 20.49 lakh metric tons of transplanted aman rice from 7.74 lakh
hectares of land in the division this season.

     DAE Additional Director Sirajul Islam said 34,400 farmers were given
incentives of seed and fertilizers worth around Taka 2.54 crore for the paddy
farming in the division during the current season.

     Of them, 28,600 farmers were given five kilograms (KGs) of seeds, 10-kg
Di Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) and 10-kg Muriate of Potash (MOP) fertilizer
valued at about Taka 1.90 crore for high yielding varieties of Aman paddy.

     Simultaneously, another 5,800 farmers received two-kg seed, 20-kg of DAP
and 10-kg of MOP fertilizer around Taka 63.80 lakh for hybrid varieties of
Aman paddy. Each of the farmers was given special support for paddy farming
on one bigha of land with the main thrust of boosting paddy yield through
enhancing their level of confidence.

     Nazmul Hossain, 47, a farmer of Gohomabona village under Paba upazila,
said he has got around six tonnes yield of BRRI Dhan-75 variety per hectare
of land this season.

     Another farmer Jahangir Alam, 54, of Bhujail village under Nachole
upazila has achieved yield from 5.5 to six tonnes of BRRI Dhan-51 per hectare
on an average.

     "We are ready to harvest the golden grain crop as it will start within
the next couple of weeks in full-swing," said Abdus Samad, a farmer of
Rajabari village in Godagari Upazila. He also said many of the farmers have
already harvested the advanced varieties of T-aman paddy while they get good
yield.

     Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) has released seven modern
paddy varieties of the Aman paddy for the welfare of common farmers in the
region particularly in its vast Barind tract, said Dr Fazlul Islam, principal
scientific officer of BRRI.

     The varieties are comparatively high yielding, drought tolerant and
shorter in duration than the local variety 'Swarna' which is prone to various
diseases and insects that always affect the paddy.

     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 doors in enormous
prospects of food security along with mitigating the crises of irrigation
water.

     Dr Islam also mentioned that Parija and Swarna varieties are being
replaced by some of the developed varieties that can boost the Aman output.