in all seven upazilas of Gaibandha district successfully this year with an expectation of bumper output of the crop.
Sources in the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said a target had been set to bring a total of 118,585 hectares of land under the T-Aman paddy farming this year with the yield target of 301,077 tonnes of rice.
Of the total land area, about 16,550 hectares of land have been brought under the farming in Sadar upazila, 14,350 hectares in Sadullapur upazila, 12,650 hectares in Palashbari upazila, 29,300 hectares in Gobindaganj upazila, 23,150 hectares in Sundarganj upazila, 13,950 hectares in Saghata upazila and 8,635 hectares in Fulchhari upazila.
The seedlings of the paddy are growing well and the paddy fields have turned green enhancing the scenic beauty of the district.
Now, the growers are very busy nurturing their paddy fields to get the desired yield with a view to ensuring their food security till the next Boro harvest.
Safayet Hossain Sarker, the plant protection specialist of DAE, told daily sun that char land of Sundarganj, Sadar, Fulchhari and Saghata upazilas would be brought under cultivation of the late variety of Ganzia paddy in the current season in addition to the target fixed by the department.
To make the programme a grand success, Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation and Barind Multipurpose Development Authority have supplied the farmers with quality seeds at fair prices.
Besides, different commercial banks, including Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank, disbursed agri-loans to the cultivators on easy terms to help them boost production of the Aman crop.
In addition, necessary measures have been taken to distribute fertilisers, insecticides and other agricultural inputs among the growers.
The DAE also conducts training programmes for the farmers so that they become accustomed to use of modern technologies in paddy cultivation, crop management and know how to preserve quality seeds, said Mir Abdur Razzak, district training officer of DAE.
Abdur Razzak Sarker, a farmer of Baruipara Sadar upazila, said they had been expecting a bumper harvest of Aman paddy this season due to the ongoing favourable weather and availability of agricultural inputs.
Talking to daily sun, AH Bazlur Rashid, deputy director of DAE, said easy availability of fertilisers would be ensured throughout the season, assigning retail fertiliser dealers at the grassroots level across the district.
