Khulna targets over 2 lakh tonnes Aman rice production

The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has fixed a target of producing over 2.72-lakh tonnes of Transplanted Aman (T-Aman) rice (4.67 tonnes of paddy) from 93,170 hectares of land in nine upazilas of the district and two metropolitan thanas in Khulna city during the current season.

The target includes the production of 2,31,482 tonnes of high-yielding varieties of Aman rice from 72,565 hectares of land, 11,297 tonnes of hybrid varieties of Aman rice from 2,658 hectares and 29,613 tonnes of local varieties of Aman rice from 17,947 hectares of land.

Officials of the DAE said the Transplantation of Aman rice seedlings has already been completed on a hundred per cent of targeted land areas despite inadequate rainfalls in Khulna agricultural region this season.

“The production target of T-Aman rice for this season is reduced by 0.06 lakh tones than the production of 2.74 lakh tones of T-Aman rice achieved last year,” said Deputy Director of the DAE of Khulna Agriculturist Md Hafizur Rahman.

Last year, a target of producing 2.74 lakh tonnes of clean rice from 92,425 hectares of land was fixed for all nine upazilas and two metropolitan thanas of Khulna.

The DAE, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) and other organisations have taken steps to make the intensive T-Aman rice cultivation programme successful this time.

Meanwhile, farmers have already prepared T-Aman seedlings on 4,920 hectares of land against the requirement of preparing 4,943 hectares of land for cultivation of T-Aman rice on 93,170 hectares of land.

“We are expecting to achieve the fixed farming target of Aman rice as transplantation of seedling of late varieties of the crop 100 per cent completed,” Hafizur said.

The government has taken special steps to ensure the use of high-quality seeds, prepare model seedbeds and ensure balanced fertilization and adoption of improved technologies to enhance rice production despite the adverse impacts of climate change.

To achieve the farming target of Aman rice and to ensure uninterrupted fertiliser management, the government has formed a task force and monitoring team in each upazila headed by Upazila Agriculture Officer, he said.

“We’ve already formed a task force and monitoring team to watch smooth irrigation, and fertiliser management in all nine upazilas in the district and two thanas in the city,” he said.