Shariatpur, a district in the Padma-Meghna basin, has had a good transplanted aman crop this season, and harvesting and threshing are in full swing ahead of the Nabanna harvest festival. Citing the district office of the Department of Agricultural Extension, BSS reports that aman was planted on 17,512 hectares against a target of 17,135, an excess of 377 hectares.
By upazila, Bhedarganj planted the most at 5,562 hectares, followed by Gosairhat at 4,528, Zajira at 3,638, Damudya at 2,051, Sadar at 1,168 and Naria at 555. So far 1,926 hectares have been harvested. The district's production target is 51,820 tonnes.
The department says the district's loam and silt-loam soils, rich in organic matter and good at holding water, suit aman rice. Plant growth, panicle size and grain filling have all been good this year, and farmers are pleased.
Mozarol Mia, a farmer at Mridha Kandi near Balar Bazar in Bhedarganj, said good weather had given a bigger yield than expected, but dearer fertiliser, pesticides and other inputs had pushed costs up; the good yield should cover them. Sobhan Sharif of Mirbahar Kandi in Zajira said timely transplanting and balanced fertiliser had paid off, but production costs and labour wages worry him, and a slightly higher paddy price would make up for everything.
Md Zahidul Alam, deputy director of the extension department in Shariatpur, told BSS that favourable weather, constant supervision and support to farmers had pushed planting above target, and he expects production to beat its target too.
Farmers hope that if a fair price for their paddy is ensured, they will make a profit this season. Officials say the good harvest will help the district's farm economy and food security.
Photo: Balaram Mahalder / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Source: BSS
Comments
(0)