Md Abdul Hannan Ranjan
T-aman (transplanted aman) paddy cultivation in nine out of ten upazilas of Netrakona district is being seriously hampered this season due to labour crisis.
The shortage of labour and high cost of labour hinder plantation of aman seedlings in the cultivable lands in the district this season.
Farmers of the rural areas are worried about their lands as they are not planting aman seedlings because of shortage of labour and exorbitant labour cost.
Labourer Suroj Ali, 45, of Shwarmushia village under Atpara upazila said they could not stay long time in the field for planting aman seedlings due to heat. So they had been compelled to rest in the shade frequently. “We are not planting aman seedling in prepared lands but we sometimes work for higher pay,” he added.
Five to six labours together can plant aman seedlings on three bighas of land per day in this heat, while the heat is normal they can plant aman seedlings in six to seven bighas of land.
Farmer Abdur Rob, 47, of village Bisnupur under Atpara upazila of the district said, “I spend Tk. 1000 to Tk. 1500 as labour cost for planting aman seedlings on one bigha, whereas it was Tk. 500 to Tk 800 this time last year”.
"I have ploughed and prepared five bighas of land for aman cultivation but have not yet planted seedlings in these lands due to shortage of labourers,” said another farmer Fazlu miah of the village adding that the unprecedented hot spell was going on in the area which hindered over all aman cultivation in the area.
Besides, Deputy Director of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Netrakona Habibur Rahman said, they had taken up a programme to bring 1,25,149 hectors of lands under T-aman cultivation in ten upazilas of the district during this current season with a production target 3.50 luck tonnes of rice.
The upazilas are Netrakona sadar,Barhatta, kendua, Madan, Durgapur, kalmakanda, Atpara, Mohangonj, Purbadhala and khaliazuri.
"If the hot spell did not come down in normal condition within a week, the aman cultivation target might not be achieved this year in the district”, he added.
