Short duration rice harvest creates jobs for poor

RANGPUR: Harvest of short duration Aman rice varieties continues in full swing creating huge jobs for farm-labourers and poor in Rangpur region at this peak hour of the seasonal lean period, reports BSS.
The harvest began from beginning of ‘Aswin’ and will continue till end of ‘Kartik’ assisting the poor in overcoming seasonal lean period of ‘monga’ (seasonal and localised famine) that already disappeared from the region eight years back.
Horticulture Specialist Khondker Mesbahul Islam of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said expanded cultivation of short duration rice varieties already became popular to combat seasonal ‘monga’ successfully since 2008.
“There is no ‘monga’ for the eighth consecutive year this time following expanded farming of short duration rice and the government’s ongoing massive social safety-net programmes,” he added.
Agriculture and Environment Coordinator Mamunur Rashid of RDRS Bangladesh, non-government organisation, said early harvest of short duration rice and farming of subsequent early winter crops in same land created working opportunities for farm- and day-labourers during lean period.
According to DAE sources, the farmers cultivated Aman crop in 5.85 lakh hectares of land exceeding fixed target of bringing 5.21 lakh hectares of land under its cultivation to produce 14 lakh tonnes rice by 64,039 hectares in the region this season.
Of them, they have cultivated short duration BRRI dhan33, BRRI dhan39, BRRI dhan56 and 57 and BINA dhan7 Aman rice varieties in 40,943 hectares of land that constitutes 7 per cent of the totally cultivated 5.85 lakh hectares of land area.
“The farmers have already completed harvest on 50 per cent of cultivated short duration rice varieties to get 4.5 to 4.8 tonnes yield rates of Aman crop in terms of paddy per hectare,” Deputy Director of DAE SM Ashraf Ali said.
“I completed harvest of my cultivated short duration BRRI dhan62 yesterday and got excellent yield rate of 4.87 tonnes paddy per hectare,” said female farmer Abiron Begum of village Sarderpara under Taraganj upazila in Rangpur.
Farmers Ariful Haque Batul of village Najirdigar, Echhahaq Ali and Aiyub Ali of Kathihara village under Sadar upazila here said they already harvested BRRI dhan56, BINA dhan7 and BRRI dhan33 rice to get 4.7 to 5.8 tonnes paddy yield per hectare.

Short duration rice harvest creates jobs for poor

RANGPUR: Harvest of short duration Aman rice varieties continues in full swing creating huge jobs for farm-labourers and poor in Rangpur region at this peak hour of the seasonal lean period, reports BSS. The harvest began from beginning of Aswin and will continue till end of Kartik assisting the poor in overcoming seasonal lean period of monga (seasonal and localised famine) that already disappeared from the region eight years back. Horticulture Specialist Khondker Mesbahul Islam of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said expanded cultivation of short duration rice varieties already became popular to combat seasonal monga successfully since 2008. There is no monga for the eighth consecutive year this time following expanded farming of short duration rice and the governments ongoing massive social safety-net programmes, he added. Agriculture and Environment Coordinator Mamunur Rashid of RDRS Bangladesh, non-government organisation, said early harvest of short duration rice and farming of subsequent early winter crops in same land created working opportunities for farm- and day-labourers during lean period. According to DAE sources, the farmers cultivated Aman crop in 5.85 lakh hectares of land exceeding fixed target of bringing 5.21 lakh hectares of land under its cultivation to produce 14 lakh tonnes rice by 64,039 hectares in the region this season. Of them, they have cultivated short duration BRRI dhan33, BRRI dhan39, BRRI dhan56 and 57 and BINA dhan7 Aman rice varieties in 40,943 hectares of land that constitutes 7 per cent of the totally cultivated 5.85 lakh hectares of land area. The farmers have already completed harvest on 50 per cent of cultivated short duration rice varieties to get 4.5 to 4.8 tonnes yield rates of Aman crop in terms of paddy per hectare, Deputy Director of DAE SM Ashraf Ali said. I completed harvest of my cultivated short duration BRRI dhan62 yesterday and got excellent yield rate of 4.87 tonnes paddy per hectare, said female farmer Abiron Begum of village Sarderpara under Taraganj upazila in Rangpur. Farmers Ariful Haque Batul of village Najirdigar, Echhahaq Ali and Aiyub Ali of Kathihara village under Sadar upazila here said they already harvested BRRI dhan56, BINA dhan7 and BRRI dhan33 rice to get 4.7 to 5.8 tonnes paddy yield per hectare.