RANGPUR, Dec 10, 2021 (BSS) - The fixed production target of Aman rice is

likely to exceed in Rangpur agriculture region where harvesting of the crop
continues with excellent yield rate making farmers happy.

   Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said the
government has fixed a target of producing 17,19,231 tonnes of clean Aman
rice (25,78,846 tonnes of paddy) from 6,12,451 hectares of land for the
region this season.

   "Before the recent floods, farmers transplanted Aman rice seedlings on
6,14,295 hectares of land exceeding the fixed target by 1,844 hectares of
land this time," Additional Director of the DAE's Rangpur region
Agriculturist Md. Tauhidul Ikbal told BSS today.

   However, the recent deluge damaged standing Aman rice crop on 4,572
hectares of land in the region.

   After damage caused by the recent flood, Aman rice plants grew superbly on
the rest of 6,09,723 hectares of land amid excellent climatic conditions this
season in the region.

   "Of them, farmers had cultivated short duration varieties of Aman rice on
63,197 hectares of land which is 10.36 percent against the total cultivated
land area of 6,09,723 hectares in the region," he said.

   Beginning from early October, farmers of the region already completed
harvesting of short duration Aman rice during the seasonal lean period of
'Aswin' and 'Kartik' months.

   "Till Thursday, farmers harvested Aman rice on 5,80,705 hectares of land,
95.24 percent of the total cultivated land area, producing 17,00,934 tonnes
of clean rice (25,51,401 tonnes paddy) in the region," Ikbal added.

   Farmers are now getting an average yield rate of 2.93 tonnes of clean Aman
rice per hectare of land at this stage of the harvesting process and
expecting to achieve a bumper production of the crop exceeding the fixed
production target this season.

   If the climatic condition remains favorable during the next couple of
weeks, farmers are expected to complete the harvesting process smoothly and
exceed the fixed production target of Aman rice in the region during the
current season.

   "After harvesting short duration Aman rice, farmers are sowing seeds of
early variety potato, winter vegetables and other Rabi crops on the same land
in full swing creating huge jobs for farm-labourers and increasing crop
intensity," Ikbal continued.

   Talking to BSS, farmers Abdur Rashid, Abul Kalam Azad, Muhibul Islam and
Mostafizar Rahman of different villages in Rangpur Sadar said that they are
getting excellent yield rates of Aman rice this season.

   Farmer Ariful Haque of Najirdigar village in Rangpur Sadar said he has
completed harvest of his cultivated Aman rice on seven acres of land and got
35 mounds yield of the crop in terms of paddy per acre of land on an average
this season.

   "The current market price of newly harvested Aman paddy is varying between
Taka 1,000 and Taka 1,100 per mound (every 40 kg)," he said.

   Like other farmers, Ariful Haque said he would be able to sell his paddy
to the government purchasing centers to earn more profits.

   Farmer Mofizar Rahman of Taraganj upazila in Rangpur said he has also
completed harvesting his cultivated Aman rice on his crop land last week and
got a bumper production.

   Farm-labourers Nurun Nabi, Aslam Hossain, Parul Begum and Sohagi Khatun of
different villages in Gangachara upazila here said they were earning Taka 500
as wages per day on an average by harvesting Aman rice crop this season.