DINAJPUR, Dec 31: Aromatic rice of the district, particularly Kataribhog, has achieved GI (Geographical Indicator) recognition recently.
Once, the aromatic rice would be eaten by kings. Now anybody can consume this rice; its farming is encouraged by the government and non-government organizations. Farmers are being made interested.
Aromatic paddy cultivation has been good this year in the district.
According to official sources, the bazaar is good too. Farmers are expecting both good production and good price of their produce. In the last year, they did not get good prices. Also their fields were attacked by pest. So, this year the total farming size has been less than last year's. Farmers said, if they get good price of their produce, they will increase farming in the next year.
Aromatic varieties like Kataribhog, Philippine Katari, Chini Katari, Jheera Katarei, Jota Katari, Kali Jheera and Challish Jheera are farmed in Dinajpur.
Mainly aromatic rice is used for preparing biriani, jorda, payes, and firni.
After meeting local demand, on an average, 8 lakh tonnes of Aush, Aman, and yearly paddy are brought to different districts of the country every year. Once, only Aush and Aman would be cultivated in Dinajpur. In the course of time, these lands have been replaced by IRRI-Boro. Two-cropping lands have been transformed into three-cropping.
Farmers shifted to Boro cultivation as it is high yielding, tolerant and short timely yielding. With this, farming of aromatic paddy started to decrease.
But in recen times, farmers are shifting again to aromatic culture. In few years, a bigger change has taken place in farming aromatic paddy. Farming of aromatic paddy made manifold increase in the last one decade.
Aromatic paddy is mostly cultivated in Dinajour Sadar Upazila, Birol, Parbatipur, and Chirirbandar upazilas.
Aromatic paddy farmers are being encouraged by both government and non-government organizations.
According to sources at the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), in 2014-2015, 53,190 hectares (ha) of lands were brought under aromatic paddy in Dinajpur, and it was enhanced to 1.6,621 ha in the last fiscal year.
But due to pest attack, less yield and less price in the last year, this year's farming has declined a bit, he added. This year aromatic paddy has been farmed on 85,623 ha. But the yield has been good this year and pest attack has not been recorded, he further said. This year bazaar is good, he added.
Farmer Manik Hossain of Puria Village in Birol Upazila said, aromatic rice is the tradition of Dinajpur. "I have cultivated aromatic paddy along with coarse variety. After meeting family demand, surplus rice will be sold on bazaar," he added.
Farmer Aminul Haq of Khodmadhab Village in Sadar Upazila said, "I have farmed aromatic paddy on one acre this year. The yield has been good. But farming cost has been higher due to increased prices of fertilizer, insecticide, and labour. Now I need good price. If not, I will be loser."
Farmer Khalilur Rahman of Kutubdanga Village in Chirirbandar Upazila said, "According to advice from the DAE, I have cultivated aromatic Jheera-34 on six bighas. Despite being affected by blast disease, the yielding has been good. If I get fair price, I will enhance farming."
Deputy Director of the DAE-Dinajpur Khaledur Rahman said, aromatic rice is a tradition of Dinajpur; already it has got recognition as GI; so Kataribhog is representative of Bangladesh's nature, culture and tradition in world market.
In order to enhance farming of aromatic paddy, the DAE is always remaining beside the farmers, he added.
To make them interested, field day is observed, farmers' meeting being held in addition to leaflet distribution, video exhibition and necessary advice, he maintained.
