KHULNA, Nov 7: Harvest of transplanted Aman (T-Aman) paddy has been progressing in full swing at all the four districts under Khulna region for a last one week.
This year, Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has fixed plantation target is 2, 98,635 hectares of land and the production target has been set at 11, 07,805 tonnes of paddy in Khulna, Bagerhat, Satkhira and Narail districts in the region.
"Farmers have cultivated Aman paddy on 2,90,342 hectares of land, less by 8,239 hectares or 2.78 per cent against the fixed farming target," officials said.
The cultivation target was achieved 97.2 per cent after blissful rain though the transplantation of Aman seedlings was hampered at the initial and middle stages of the season due to drought-like situation. But the production has exceeded the target.
Currently, the growers are harvesting the crop with great enthusiasm and getting bumper production of the paddy which they did not even expect, he said.
Additional Director of the DAE of Khulna Region Md Rafiqul Islam said that favourable climatic condition, proper distribution of high-quality seed by Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) and timely supply of fertilisers and other agro-input to the growers are the reasons for getting desired production.
The DAE also provided training to the farmers for adopting modern technologies, crop management and preservation of quality seeds, he added.
He, however, said about 11,044 hectares of land has been harvested till October 29 or 13.5 percent harvest of the paddy had already been completed and rest would be finished here by December.
During a visit to paddy fields in the Batiaghata and Dakope areas, farmers were seen passing busy times in harvesting and storing the paddy from dawn to dusk.
Shahidul Alam, a farmer of Gangarampur Union of Batiaghata Upazila in Khulna, harvested 18 maunds of Aman paddy from each bigha of land, while last year's yield was 17 maunds. He cultivated Aman paddy on 12 bighas of land this season.
Hamid Mia, a farmer from the Kalabogi area of Dakope Upazila, said farmers are even involving their school-going children to speed up the harvest, aiming to complete it before the arrival of cyclone or dense fog.
