Harvest of transplanted (T) Aman paddy, a high valued crop, has been progressing fast in all the seven upazilas in the district during the current season.
Office sources said Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) set a target to cultivate T-Aman paddy on a total of 1,22, 227 hectares of land in the district this year with the production target of 4,64,000 tonnes of paddy.
Later, the target fixed by the department was exceeded and as many as 1,28,000 hectares of land with additional 5,773 hectares were brought under the farming due to favorable climatic condition during the current season.
To make the cultivation programme a grand success, Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation and Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) distributed high quality Aman seed to the farmers of the district at fair prices.
Besides, different state runs commercial banks including Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank (RAKUB) disbursed agri loans on easy terms to the poor and marginal farmers of the district to help them cultivate T-Aman paddy on their land this season, sources said.
Crops production specialist of DAE Golam Mostafa said favourable climatic condition, proper distribution of high quality seed by BADC and BMDA and timely supply of fertilizers and other agri inputs to the growers are the reasons for getting desired production of the crop.
Apart from this, DAE also provided training programmes to the farmers for adopting modern technologies of paddy cultivation, crop management and preservation of quality seeds, said Zulfiqer Ali Haider, district training officer of DAE.
M Amir Ali, an ideal farmer of Putimari area under Muktinagar union of Shaghata upazila in the district, said all the farmers were expecting bumper production of Aman paddy this year due to favourable climatic conditions and availability of agro inputs at fair prices.
Talking to the BSS deputy director of DAE Mir Abdur Razzak said 25 per cent harvest of the paddy had already been completed. -BSS Gaibandha
