Dry spell rings alarm for Aman cultivation

It's rainy reason in Bangladesh and agricultural land is supposed to be wet with monsoon rains by now.  

But a vast part of land is currently dry and cracks have formed in many parts of the country, particularly in the north, affecting the cultivation of Aman rice, the second-largest paddy after Boro, amid dry spell.

According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), the country recorded 86 per cent less rainfall until July 17, against 523 millimetres on average usually seen in the month, compelling growers to turn to diesel-run pumps to prepare lands and transplant seedlings to avoid late planting since it would reduce yields.

"We have been passing our days looking at the sky for rains," said Nurul Islam, a farmer of Hosennagar village under the sadar upazila of Rangpur, the main producer of Aman in the north, which accounts for 36 per cent of the total output of the rice variety.

The grower had prepared his seedbed on two bighas of land to plant Aman. The seedlings have grown fully, but he could not prepare the land on time to transplant the seedlings for the drought-like situation.

Finally, after waiting for seven days, he had to depend on water pumps to irrigate though this would increase his production cost. He and his farmers across the country rely on rainwater to produce the paddy variety.

"My expenses would go up by Tk 1,500 per bigha for operating the diesel pump," Islam said.

The unfavourable weather following repeated floods had hurt the previous two rice crops -- Boro and Aush. This fanned concerns about the food security of the nation at a time when the war in Ukraine is disrupting the supply of grains.

Rice is the staple food and Aman accounted for 39 per cent of the total annual production of the grains estimated at around 3.80 crore tonnes during the last fiscal year of 2021-22.

The mild heat wave has created worries among farmers and agronomists as any delay in transplantation will reduce the overall yield from the crop. The government targets to bag 1.63 crore tonnes of rice to offset the losses of Boro and Aush crops.

Until yesterday, farmers transplanted Aman on 1.57 lakh hectares of land, out of the government's target of 56.30 lakh hectares, according to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).

Farmers have prepared seedlings on 2.57 lakh hectares so far.

"My seedlings matured a week ago and I have been watering them to keep them alive. I don't know when the rain will come and we will start transplantation. We are worried," said Md Khaja Mia, a farmer in Shibganj upazila of Bogura district.

Abdul Halim, a farmer in Rajosh of Gobindaganj upazila of Gaibandha, says all water-bodies, crops lands, canals and ponds are dry now.

"We are witnessing this type of drought in our district for the first time since 2001. There has been no rain since June 17 in this area."

Farmers normally start transplanting Aman on the first day of Srabon (July 16) as per the Bangla calendar year.

"We will have to spend for irrigation if there is no rainfall," Halim said, adding that per unit cost of electricity is Tk 4.5 while diesel costs Tk 80 a litre.

Habibur Rahman, a farmer of the Bherberi union of Khansama upazila of Dinajpur, usually completes Aman cultivation by July 20 every year.

"But, it seems that it would be late by a couple of weeks this year," he said.

"We are already 15-20 days behind the usual Aman cultivation period. We are worried because the yield might be poor due to the lack of rains on time," said Abdur Rouf, a grower in Rajosh.

Habibur Rahaman Chowdhury, director (routine charge) of the field services wing of the DAE, said the agency suggested using irrigation pumps to ensure the timely cultivation of Aman.

"The situation is almost the same throughout the country. But transplantation begins early in the Rangpur and Dinajpur regions."

Md Shahjahan Kabir, director general of the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, said seedlings of shortly matured varieties have to be transplanted within 15-20 days to ensure maximum output.

"If that exceeds, the yield will decline."

Similarly, dry weather will also affect the cultivation of long-duration rice varieties, he said, suggesting the operation of all public irrigation schemes to ensure timely cultivation to achieve the target.

"The government should initiate a massive agricultural rehabilitation programme under the current situation," said AMM Shawkat Ali, a former food adviser to the caretaker government.

He said farmers should get an adequate supply of diesel for irrigation. "It will offset the future need for import of food grains."

The rainfall may increase from today and the temperature will fall, according to Hafizur Rahman, a meteorologist at the BMD.