Fortune smiles on Jhenidah Aman growers

Aman farmers in Jhenidah are having a joyous time -- thanks to favourable weather conditions followed by a bountiful harvest and, most importantly, good prices for the paddy.

Each maund of the crop is now selling for between Tk 1,000 and Tk 1,300 at different markets in the district, while the average cost of production for the same amount was Tk 800, said farmers.

While the targeted cultivation of Boro Aman (harvested in summer time around May) was on 77 thousand hectares of land this season, farmers in six upazilas of the district cultivated it on 80.284 thousand hectares, according to data from the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Jhenidah.

Driven by good profits during last year's Ropa Aman (harvested in winter time around December) season, the farmers planted Boro Aman on an extended area this season, said many of them.

Boro Aman has been cultivated on 20,199 hectares in Sadar, 12,205 hectares in Shailakupa, 9,860 hectares in Harinakundo, 18,570 in Maheshpur, 5,700 hectares in Kotchandpur and 13,750 hectares in Kaliganj upazilas of the district during 2020-21 fiscal year.

The crop was cultivated on 77,535 hectares in fiscal year 2019-20 while on 88,504 hectares the year before, as per the DAE.

Farmer Towaz Ali, from Raghunathpur village in Kaliganj upazila, said he was happy to sell the Aman paddy this time for Tk 1,100 per maund.

Another farmer, Altaf Hossain, from Solaimanpur village in Kotchandpur upazila, said the price he got this year has been fair and he has no complaints as he harvested 84 maunds of Boro Aman from four bighas of land and already sold 40 maunds for Tk 40 thousand.

He found encouragement in planting Boro Aman on a total of four bighas of land this year after getting a very good yield of Ropa Aman last season from two bighas of land, he added.

DAE Deputy Director in Jhenidah Md Asgar Ali said soil in Jhenidah is highly suitable for both types of Aman farming and the local farmers grew the crop in a larger area after they made good profit from Ropa Aman last season.