Aman planting behind target this season
Planting of Aman seedlings has suffered a setback this season as it is so far 14 percent less than the target set by the government.
Farmers planted 2.30 lakh less seedlings this season compared to the same three-month period last year, raising fears among the experts that this may impact negatively on the production of Aman rice.
Experts said the time for planting seedlings expired in mid-August and farmers were now plating seedlings of late varieties which would not give them expected yield.
They said increased fuel costs for irrigation and poor rainfall have already impacted Aman farming. Besides, the delayed planting of seedlings would ultimately hamper the production.
"Usually, Aman planting is completed by mid-July and the late variety by August. So, the planting of the late variety seedlings is also very late. That's why the production will definitely be hampered," Mohammad Jahangir Alam, agribusiness and marketing professor at Bangladesh Agricultural University, told The Daily Sar yesterday.
The government has set a target to produce 1.63 crore tonnes of Aman paddy this year to offset the losses of Boro and Aus crops caused by floods.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), the government last year set a target of cultivating Aman on 51.18 lakh hectares of land and seedlings were planted on 51.20 lakh hectares till August 1.
But this year, farmers have planted seedlings on 48.90 lakh hectares against the targeted 56.20 lakh hectares, said Habibur Rahaman Chowdhury, director of the field services wing of the DAE.
He said planting was delayed as farmers waited for rain and also feared flooding.
"Farmers can plant Aman seedlings till September 15 and the target for planting will be achieved by that time," Habibur told The Daily Star yesterday.
However, AMM Shawkat Ali, former food adviser to a caretaker government, has a different view.
"Time of planting Aman seedlings has expired much earlier. As farmers prepared seedbeds, they are left without an option but to plant seedlings. Otherwise, their fields will be barren and they will lose their investment. So, whatever amount they get will be a bonus," he said.
Shawkat said the Aman yield will be less this year due to the delayed planting and shorter lifespan of the plants.
Officials and experts said scanty rains in the last three months may set back the production of Aman. During this period, the country witnessed an average 3.6, 57.6, and 39.6 percent less rain than the average normal rainfall, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department.
Aman, the second biggest crop after Boro, is a rain-fed paddy. It accounts for 39 percent of the total grains produced in Bangladesh. Its production heavily depends on monsoon rains as the time for preparing seedbeds for transplanting seedlings almost ends during the peak June-August rainy season, say officials and agriculturists.
The unfavourable weather conditions will make the farmers go for supplementary irrigation to get an expected yield, which will ultimately push up the production costs, they said, adding that the increased prices of fertilisers also aggravated the situation.
Meanwhile, the government is trying to make all-out efforts to ensure a good Aman harvest by ensuring uninterrupted power supply to farmers for irrigation and providing seeds to any possible flood-affected area.
"Due to poor rainfall in many areas, farmers need fertilisers and supplementary irrigation. This will increase their production costs slightly. Planting of seedlings is also delayed in many areas," said DAE Director General Md Benazir Alam.
He said the production of late varieties is always less than the regular verities.
Benazir, however, expressed optimism that the overall Aman production would not be hampered.
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