Home ›› 28 Jul 2022 ›› Nation
Transplantation of Aman rice seedlings has got momentum following frequent rainfalls in recent days making farmers and farm labourers busy in all five districts of the Rangpur agriculture region.
Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) and farmers said the transplantation of Aman rice seedlings was progressing slowly due to a drought-like situation that prevailed in recent weeks.
“However, transplantation of Aman rice seedlings got momentum amid showering of seasonal monsoon rains frequently in recent days,” said Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur region Md. Emdad Hossain Sheikh.
The government has fixed a target of producing about 18.08 lakh tonnes of clean Aman rice (about 27.12 lakh tonnes of paddy) from over 6.15 lakh hectares of land for the region during the current season.
The target includes the production of 15,47,403 tonnes of high-yielding varieties of Aman rice from 5,32,115 hectares of land, and 2,24,765 tonnes of hybrid varieties of Aman rice from 64,035 hectares and 35,748 tonnes of local varieties of Aman rice from 19,535 hectares of land.
Meanwhile, farmers have so far prepared Aman rice seedbeds on 32,631 hectares of land against the requirement of preparing the same on 30,469 hectares of land for cultivation of the crop on the targeted 6,15,685 hectares of land in the region.
Transplantation of Aman rice seedlings has already been completed on about 80,000 hectares of land as the process is progressing fast amid frequent seasonal monsoon rains in the region. The government has taken measures to ensure the supply of quality seeds, prepare a model and floating seedbeds and ensure balanced fertilization and adoption of the latest technologies to enhance rice production despite the shrinking of cultivable land area.
Besides, ample steps have been taken to prepare late varieties of Aman rice seedbeds on highlands and floating seedbeds in low-lying areas so that there was no crisis of seedlings for floods, if any, during July and August months this season.
Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation, Barind Multipurpose Development Authorities and farmers have kept irrigation pumps ready to operate for Aman rice seedling transplantation in case of less rainfall or droughts.
