Despite relatively lower and intermittent rainfall during this year's monsoon season, the prospect of a bumper Aman rice harvest has brought joy to farmers and agricultural officials in Rangpur agricultural region.
Additional Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) for Rangpur region Krishibid Md Saiful Islam has informed BSS that there is a real possibility of a bumper Aman rice harvest in this region during the current season.
Given the lower-than-average seasonal rainfall, farmers, with the support of various government departments and agencies, have irrigated their Aman rice fields, where necessary, ensuring that the young Aman rice seedlings could grow well this season.
Moreover, the intermittent rainfall has acted like a tonic for the growth of the young Aman rice seedlings throughout the farming season so far.
"Furthermore, the sufficient moisture in the soil has allowed the Aman rice seedlings to thrive at this stage now, which suggests the possibility of a bumper rice harvest this year, even if there is no further rainfall till the time of harvest" said Krishibid Islam.
However, he added that if there is rainfall soon, or if farmers provide one or two rounds of irrigation to the late-planted Aman rice fields located on relatively higher ground, the yield there will also be higher.
Of the growing Aman rice plants, currently, 2.35 percent in panicle initiation, 24.43 percent in booting, 33.58 percent in flowering, 16.26 percent in milking, 13.59 percent in dough, 6.50 percent in ripening stages
and 3.29 percent already harvested.
Earlier, the present government through the DAE had fixed a target of producing 20,05,028 tonnes of clean Aman rice (30,07,542 tonnes in terms of paddy) from 6,21,550 hectares of land for the region this year.
Despite facing challenges such as water scarcity due to low rainfall in the initial stages, farmers in the region ultimately planted Aman paddy seedlings across 621,690 hectares-exceeding the set target by 140 hectares.
Of them, in the current season, short-duration Aman rice has been cultivated on over 113,000 hectares of land.
Currently, the harvesting process of the short-duration Aman rice crop is underway and will be completed within the next two weeks.
Farmers have already harvested short duration Aman rice on 20,436 hectares of land and produced 64,973 tonnes of clean rice (97,460 tonnes in terms of paddy) till Monday in the region.
Along with a good yield, the favorable market price for the new Aman rice has brought joy to farmers in rural areas.
In the five districts of this agricultural region-Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, and Nilphamari-farming families are now celebrating the traditional 'Nabanna' festival.
"The present government is making an all-out effort, and agricultural officials in the field are providing the necessary support to farmers to ensure the successful cultivation of Aman paddy across the region," Krishibid Saiful Islam added.
In addition to using organic fertilisers while farming Aman rice this season, farmers have adopted eco-friendly perching and light trap pest management methods to control insect infestations and achieve good yields in the region this season.
After visiting Aman rice fields in different areas of Rangpur region in recent days, Krishibid Saiful Islam told BSS that farmers are set for a bumper harvest of Aman rice as harvest of the crop will get momentum from the next month.
In this region, the vast fields of Aman rice, comprising ripe, semi-ripe, and growing crops, now present a beautiful and captivating natural scene.
Talking to BSS, farmers Mofizar Rahman, Babul Hossain, Solaiman Ali and Badiul Islam of different upazilas in Rangpur said that they are getting excellent yield rates from harvesting short duration Aman rice.
Like many other farmers, Alhaj Isahaque Ali of village Kathihara under Rangpur Sadar upazila said that he would start harvesting his cultivated Aman rice from the next month.
"Farmers in our area are expecting high yield rates of their cultivated Aman rice crop between 50 and 55 mounds per acre of land this season," he said.