Nirmal Sarker, Bera
A change in the air and with eye-catching sights of golden coloured paddy fields gives the signal of Hemanta. And farmers' families are busy with cutting and collecting paddy and drying straw.
Bera Upazila Agriculture Department Officer Md Rokonuzzaman said that the target of cultivating Aman paddy in Bera Upazila this season was 7,380 hectares, cultivated in 7,530 hectares exceeding the fixed farming target. Of these, 39, 49 varieties of paddy have been cultivated in 290 hectares or 2,168 bighas of land. Due to favourable weather and good yields, it is expected that the average yield of paddy per hectares is 8.5 metric ton or bigha is expected to be 15 maund. Out of which 1,305 metric ton or 32,625 maund rice will be obtained and from it 870 metric ton or 8,70000 kilograms or 21,750 maund rice will be available.
Deputy Assistant Agriculture Officer Azmat Ali said that the farmer cultivate transplanted Aman rice because of the low expenditure. As there is low use of fertilizers and pesticides, very low cost is incurred on Aman cultivation. If the yield is good, on an average, it is expected to achieve 5 to 6 mandy of rice. This season, the transplanted Aman rice has been flooded several times in the rainy season that led to slight reduction in cultivation. Now the farmers of Bera Upazila have been cultivating T-Aman on about 7,240 hectares of land. The production of these primitive varieties of Aman paddy is 12,308 metric ton and from this, about 8,205 metric ton or 82,05,333 kg rice can be obtained.
Farmers of Punduria village of Chakla union A. Bari and Azhar Molla, Md Anasar Ali and Keramat Ali of Kaitola union said paddy yield has improved this time as there was no natural calamity.
The cultivation of Aman paddy is more prevalent in the Dhalar Char Union, Masumdia Union, Ruppur Union, Jatsakini Union and Haturia Nakalia Union. After speaking to the farmers of different areas of the upazila, it has been reported that good crops has been yielded in this season.
Farid Shahidul Islam, a farmer of Brishalikha area of Bera upazila, said that I was in great anticipation of the cyclone bulbul. But no such major damage occurred.
Farmers are also expecting that the price of Amn paddy will rice further as more Aman paddy will appear in the market soon after harvesting.