Farmers of Patuakhali's Kalapara are spending their days busy weaving the dream of Aman rice. Although delayed a bit due to the hostility of nature, farmers have been seen planting Aman rice seedlings in the remote areas of the country's southern sea coast, ignoring the sun and rain. The green foliage of Aman is becoming visible across the horizon.
This year, the target of Aman cultivation in Kalapara upazila has been set at 30 thousand 700 hectares. Farmers have already completed Aman cultivation on 25 thousand 800 hectares of land. The Agriculture Department has announced that Aman cultivation will be completed in the next two to four days in the remaining target land as the adverse weather conditions pass.
In this disaster-prone upazila of the southern part of the country, farmers are excited about the better yield of Aman rice than the target every year. The sub-assistant agricultural officers of the agriculture department have given constant advice to the farmers at the field level, so the farmers have been successful in agriculture despite fighting with nature. However, due to blocking of sluicegates in fish farming by the dominant, farmers' worries increase during the cultivation season.
According to the local agriculture department, the agriculture department is always with the farmers to achieve self-sufficiency in food. Fertilizers are being given to farmers. Field level presence of Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officers is mandatory to solve any problems related to farming of farmers.
The source further informed that 5 kg of paddy seeds and 20 kg of chemical fertilizers per person have been distributed free of cost to one thousand 890 farmers of the coast under the post cyclone 'Remal' program.
Earlier, 6,000 peaches of coconut seedlings were distributed free of cost to 1,200 small and marginal farmers under the promotion program in the fiscal year 2023-24. Apart from this, the facilities of tractors for farming, spray machines for spraying pesticides, foot pumps, and harvesters for harvesting paddy are being provided to encourage the farmers to cultivate in a scientific manner.
Nasu Sikder (67), a farmer of Bishkani area of Tiakhali Union of Upazila, said, "This year, as soon as hurricane Remal passed, the aman seeds rotted due to the abnormal tide water and excessive rain due to the impact of low pressure one after another. We had to make a new seed bed and plant rice again.
Farmer Idris Gazi (55) of Notunpara area of Dhulasar union of the upazila said, "This year, Tk 15,000 has been spent on cultivation per acre of land. Now the land should be sprayed with fertilizers and pesticides.
Idris Gazi also said, "Dealers are selling fertilizers and pesticides at higher prices than the government fixed prices. Each sack of TSP fertilizer has to be bought from the retail dealer shop of Chapli Bazar for Tk 1800, Urea Tk 1400 and DAP fertilizer Tk 1200. In addition, we had to buy pesticides at a higher price.
A Rahman, Deputy Assistant Plant Conservation Officer of the Agriculture Department, said, 'This year in Kalapara, high-yielding Aman rice of Ufshi variety BR-11, BR-22, BR-23, Swarnamushuri, Bri rice-49, Bri rice-51, Bri rice 52, 70-75 percent cultivation has been done. Apart from this, the farmers cultivated local varieties of Saksharkhana, Rajashail, Kajal Shail, Binga Moni, Sada Mota, Matha Mota and Kuti Agrani varieties of Aman rice.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Md Arafat Hossain said, "Deputy Assistant Agriculture Officers of the Agriculture Department are providing round-the-clock services to the farmers at the field level. I myself go to one village every day and talk to the farmer including inspecting the agricultural work. Farmers are not eager to solve any problem quickly. '
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