The Transplanted Aman (T-Aman) farmers in six upazilas of Jhenaidah are likely to produce 3.73 lakh tonnes rice in the current season. The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) had set a target to produce 3.6 tonnes of rice on each hectare on an average, said the DAE sources.
Abdur Rauf, resident of Maharajpur village of Jhenaidah Sadar Upazila when contacted, said he brought his three bighas (120 decimals) of land under the T-Aman farming in the season. The farmer was expecting 24 to 26 maunds of paddy from each bigha. If he could minimize the irrigation cost, the plots might provide him profit, Abdur Rauf said.
Farmer Sailendra Nath Biswas of Kashinathpur area in Langalbandh of Shailkupa Upazila said the farmers were happy when they had witnessed some rainfall in the current month after a prolonged drought for last couple of months. As the T-Aman is almost rain dependent, they were hopeful of adequate rainfall in coming days, Sailendra Nath Biswas said.
DAE sources of Jhenaidah Khamarbari said that they had set the target to produce 373,069 tonnes of rice on 104,485 hectares of land in the current T-Aman season. Average yield from each hectare was expected for 3.6 tonnes. Till July 29, the farmers had brought their 52,595 hectares of land under T-Aman farming which was above 50 percent of the target. Upazila wise break up of the present coverage was 12,627 hectares in Jhenaidah Sadar, 12,834 hectares in Kaliganj, 1,850 hectares in Kotchandpur, 16,970 hectares in bordering Moheshpur, 11,253 hectares in Shailkupa and remaining 2,060 hectares in Harinakundu Upazila. The farmers in the district had produced 372,088 tonnes of rice in the last season. Average yield on each hectare was 3.56 tonnes of rice, the DAE sources said.
Sasti Chandra Roy, DAE deputy director in Jhenaidah Khamarbari when contacted said, the farmers had started transplanting sapling on their lands since mid-July which to be continued till August 20 next. The recent rainfall has shown the ray of hope before the farmers as the same will help a lot in growing better paddy plants. Further, it will also reduce their irrigation cost which could help strengthen their socio-economic state partially.
They had advised the field level staffs of the DAE also known as sub assistant agricultural officers (SAAOs), to stand by the farmers when necessary, the DAE deputy director said.
