RAJSHAHI, Jan 5, 2022 (BSS) - Farmers have harvested around 24.13 lakh
tonnes of Transplanted Aman rice from 7.79 lakh hectares of land as its
harvesting process ended recently everywhere in Rajshahi division
contributing a lot to ensure food security.

     The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) had set the target of
producing around 20.49 lakh tonnes of Aman rice from around 7.74 lakh
hectares of land in all eight districts in the division during the current
season.

     But, amazingly, the enthusiastic farmers have brought more than 7.79
lakh hectares of land, exceeding the target by 4,294 hectares, facing all the
existing challenges.

     Sirajul Islam, additional director of the DAE, said the farmers are
happy after pulling in a good yield of transplanted Aman in the region.

     He said the paddy farming has exceeded the target here significantly due
to favorable weather along with frequent rainfall that contributed a lot
towards successful completion of Aman seedlings transplantation on time.

     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.

     Measures with initiative of both public and private sectors were taken
to ensure supplementary irrigation to the paddy fields from the surface water
resources if needed.

     Farmers didn't face any adverse situation. Surface water resources were
also enriched through excavating a canal to ensure supplementary irrigation
to transplanted Aman paddy, over 45,000 hectares of land in high Barind
tract, said Jahangir Alam Khan, coordinator of Integrated Water Resource
Management project.

     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 local variety 'Swarna' which is prone to various
diseases and insects 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.

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

     Meanwhile, the government has, so far, procured more than 95,155.89
tonnes of aman rice during the current procurement drive.

    As part of the nationwide ongoing aman rice procurement drive, the
government has procured the food grain from all eight districts in Rajshahi
division.

    Faruque Hossain Patwary, Regional Controller of Food, said procurement
drive of the newly harvested rice is going on in full swing everywhere in the
division that created a high hope of ensuring food security.

     He said the government has set a target of procuring 1,06,173 tonnes of
boiled rice during the current drive. He said they will procure 2,904 tonnes
of rice from the growers directly.

     Contracts have been signed with 3,951 millers for collecting 1,31,389.49
tonnes of boiled rice.

     They also procured 4,008.16 tonnes of paddy till the same day. Target
has been set to procure 43,404 tonnes of paddy at Taka 27 per kilogram, he
added.