Off season aus gaining popularity in 8 N dists
Production to exceed target this year
A farmer works at his field of parija aus at Dogachi village in Nilphamari Sadar upazila. Farmers in the northern districts are cultivating aus paddy in larger areas as several fast growing varieties of the crop, produced between harvest of boro and preparation for aman farming, bring added earning to them. Photo: STAR
Farmers in eight northern districts are getting more interested in cultivation of short duration and off season varieties of aus paddy, bearing bright prospect of additional rice production between traditional boro and aman cultivation. The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Rangpur set a target for aus cultivation on 24,478 hectares of land in Rangpur, Dinajpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Thakurgaon, Panchagarh and Nilphamari districts this year, said sources at the regional office of the DAE in Rangpur. But the farmers cultivated aus on 28,186 hectares of land with prospective production target of 77,000 tonnes of rice at production rate of 2.50 tonne per hectare. Last year, the farmers cultivated aus on 27,328 hectares of land and produced about 70,000 tonnes of the crop. Amid climatologists' prediction of more serious climatic changes in future, agronomists and agriculture experts see bright prospect of aus paddy, which is drought tolerant and can be cultivated and harvested before full scale rainy season and flood. Adding to food production alongside traditional boro and aman farming, aus can play important role in ensuring the country's food security, they said. "After harvesting early variety boro paddy in the Bangla month of Baishakh (mid April-mid May), our lands used to remain fallow as we waited for cultivation of aman (T-aman) in mid July-mid August period," said farmer Sanjit of Kisamat Dogachhi village in Nilphamari district. "Following various government steps and efforts of some NGOs, we have accepted short duration and off season aus paddy especially parija variety introduced by NGO RDRS in interim period and it is gaining popularity in the area every year," he said. Horidas of Kisamat Dogachhi village and Bachchu of Itaklola village echoed the same. Aus paddy farming has increased significantly this season to produce additional rice under changed climate condition to ensure food security, said Mohsin Ali, additional director of the DAE in Rangpur. Under DAE programme, farmers have cultivated hybrid variety aus, high yielding variety aus and local variety aus during this current season, said DAE officials and farmers. The farmers have mostly cultivated high yield varieties like BRRI Dhan-26 and 29, BR-1, 14, 21, 26, parija and several hybrid varieties like jagoron, aloron, hira and some local varieties like purbasha, pousha, hasi kalmi and kataktara etc. Farmers mostly accepted parija introduced by Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service (RDRS). Renowned rice scientist and Dinajpur Hub Manager of Cereal System Initiative for South Asia Dr MA Mazid said increased aus farming is a good indication to produce additional rice in meeting food security amid climatic change challenges. “Through proper agronomical management aus crop in terms of clean rice may be up to three tonnes per hectare, which might further encourage farmers for its expanded farming," he added.
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