Photo: BSS

RANGPUR, July 11, 2025 (BSS) - Farmers in all five districts of the Rangpur agricultural region have already started transplanting Aman rice seedlings and the process will gain full momentum by the end of this month.
 
Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said the government has fixed a target of producing 20,10,505 tonnes of clean Aman rice (30,15,757 tonnes in terms of paddy) from 6,20,430 hectares of land for the region this time.
 
The set target includes production of 16,75,683 tonnes of high yielding varieties of Aman rice from 5,24,036 hectares of land, 3,14,162 tonnes of hybrid varieties rice from 85,450 hectares and 20,660 tonnes of local varieties of Aman rice from 10,910 hectares of land.
 
Earlier, last season, farmers produced 18,88,538 tonnes of clean Aman rice (28,32,807 tonnes in terms of paddy) by cultivating this staple crop on 6,16,299 hectares of land in the region.
 
Meanwhile, farmers have already prepared Aman rice seedbeds on 29,645 hectares of land against the requirement of preparing the same on 30,349 hectares of land for cultivation of the crop on the targeted 6,20,430 hectares of land.
 
"Farmers have already transplanted Aman rice seedlings on 1,770 hectares of land till Thursday," said Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur region Agriculturist Md Shafikul Islam.
 
The interim government has taken special steps to ensure balanced fertilization and adoption of improved technologies to enhance rice production despite lessening of cultivable land area.
 
Meanwhile, the DAE continues distributing high-quality Aman rice seeds and fertilisers among the small and marginal farmers as incentives to assist them in cultivating the crop.
 
Besides, steps have been taken to prepare late varieties of Aman rice seedbeds on highlands and floating seedbeds in low-lying areas so that there was no crisis of seedlings for floods, if any, during flooding periods.
 
Farmers, Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) and Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA) will keep their irrigation pumps ready for timely planting of Aman rice seedlings across the region in case of low rainfall or droughts.
 
"Officials of the DAE are providing necessary assistance, training and latest technologies to farmers to ensure successful cultivation of Aman rice," he said.
 
"Enthusiastic farmers are transplanting Aman rice seedlings alongside preparing croplands for plantation of seedlings in the region where a favorable climatic condition is prevailing for the purpose," Islam added.
 
Talking to BSS, farmers Abdur Rahman, Litan Mia, Nurul Islam and Mahbubur Rahman of different villages in Rangpur said they have already prepared seedbeds and will begin planting Aman rice seedlings from next week.
 
Farmers Mominul Haque, Gias Uddin and Md Farhaduzzaman said they have started transplantation of Aman rice seedlings on their croplands after preparing necessary seedbeds.
 
Deputy Director of the DAE for Rangpur Agriculturist Md Sirajul Islam said farmers have already begun transplanting Aman rice seedlings with huge enthusiasm aiming at achieving the fixed Aman rice farming and production targets set for the region.