Farmers happy with bumper Aman yield, fair prices

Farmers in Mymensingh have begun harvesting their early-flowering Aman paddy amidst festivity as they are getting a good yield along with fair prices.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, Mymensingh branch, farmers of the district cultivated Ropa Aman Dhan on 2,68, 315 hectares of cropland.

Of which, the different varieties of Aman paddy, such as BRRI Dhan-49, were cultivated on 1,11,899 hectares, BRRI Dhan-71 on 7022 hectares, BRRI Dhan-75 on 570 hectares, and Bina Dhan-7 on 2,135 hectares of cropland.

“We had fixed a target of 10, 82,960 metric tons of paddy production and 7, 21,973 metric tons of rice. As the farmers are getting 4.3 metric tons of paddy (or 2.85 metric tons of rice) from each hectare of land, we believe the overall production will exceed the target this season,” said Md Motiujjaman, deputy director of Mymensingh Krishi Khamarbari.

“As the farmers opted for an early-flowering variety of Aman, they are now able to harvest the crop much earlier this season,” said agriculturist Motiujjaman.

Quoting the agriculturist, farmers of the district told The Business Post that they are happy with the return from the crop as they are getting Tk900-Tk1000 each maund.

Ali Hossain, a farmer of Ghagra union of Mymensingh’s Sadar upazila, said that he planted BRRI Dhan-71 on his 20 decimal cropland at the beginning of this season.

“As I have planted the early flowering variety, my plants have ripened well before other varieties. I harvested eight maunds of paddy and sold it for Tk 1000 each maund. I am hoping to get Tk 8000 from my paddy production,” he added.

He further noted that excluding the production cost, he would be able to make a profit of Tk 5000 this season.

“I have also cultivated a regular variety of Aman on 50 decimal land, but they have not ripened as yet,” he said.

“The early flowering varieties of Aman paddy are not only high-yielding but also profitable. It also allows the farmers to cultivate two to three crops in a single cropland each season,” Ali Hossain added.

Abdul Malek, another farmer of the area, told The Business Post that more farmers are gradually becoming interested in cultivating these early flowering varieties of Aman paddy.

“We are getting a bumper yield, and the prices are also good. We can harvest these varieties much before the regular ones. That’s why we are becoming fond of these varieties.

Echoing with Malek, another farmer of Mymensingh’s Gouripur area Liton also said, “I also got a satisfactory yield and now will cultivate different winter vegetables on the same piece of cropland.”

“With the profit I got from my rice production this season, I can provide food for my family for a year,” he added.