Northern region farmers pin hopes on Aman harvest amid favourable weather

The paddy fields across northern Bangladesh are once again coming alive as farmers work through muddy fields, transplanting Aman seedlings with hopes of recovering from the setbacks of previous seasons.

From preparing land and levelling fields to pulling seedlings from nurseries and planting them in neat rows, farmers and farm workers are busy making the most of the current Aman season.

Unlike some previous years, when inadequate or delayed rainfall made transplantation difficult, this year’s favourable weather and sufficient rainfall have brought some relief to farmers in the region.

Agriculture officials are also hopeful that if the weather remains favourable, farmers will not only meet the cultivation target but may also achieve a good yield and earn a reasonable return.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), a target has been set to cultivate transplanted Aman on 663,714 hectares of land across the eight districts under the Rangpur agricultural region this season.

The production target has been set at 2.633 million tonnes of paddy.

Most of the fields have already been planted, while transplantation on the remaining land is expected to be completed within the next 10 to 15 days, officials said.

During a recent visit to the fields, the scene was one of intense agricultural activity. Tractors and power tillers were being used to prepare land, while some farmers were repairing field embankments with spades and others were levelling the soil with wooden planks.

Groups of farmers were pulling seedlings from nurseries and transplanting them in rows. Some were applying fertiliser, their heads covered with towels to shield themselves from the sun.

Abdul Bari, a farmer from Rangpur Sadar, has cultivated Aman on five bighas of land this season.

He said adequate rainfall has made cultivation easier and reduced his costs.

“Nature has been quite supportive this year. We have received enough rainwater, so we did not have to spend money on irrigation,” he said.

“If everything goes well, we expect a good yield,” he said.

Source: UNB NEWS