RAJSHAHI, Nov 14, 2022 (BSS) - Farmers are happy after getting satisfactory yield of the newly developed transplanted aman (T-aman) paddy as they have been harvesting the paddy in the region, including its vast Barind tract.

Harvesting of transplanted aman paddy is going on in full swing everywhere in the region at present amidst good yield making the farmers happy.

As the present time is appropriate for harvesting, farmers are now passing their busiest time with it aimed at completing it in due time to plant the next crop on the same land.

The paddy harvesting has not only generated scopes of ensuring food security but also created job opportunities for many people, particularly the marginalized and daily-earning people.  

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 24.60 lakh metric tons of transplanted aman rice from 7.85 lakh hectares of land in all eight districts under Rajshahi division this season.

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 has cultivated the paddy on five bighas of land and hoped of good yield though some of its farming fields were damaged.

He also said many of the farmers have already started harvesting 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 like Brridhan 51, 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 including brown plant hopper, 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 doors in enormous prospects of food security along with mitigating the crises of irrigation water. Timely transplantation of aman paddy seedlings is very important for healthy growth leading to optimum yield in the area.

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

In the previous year, farmers harvested around 24.13 lakh tonnes of Transplanted Aman rice from 7.79 lakh hectares of lands in the division, he added.