Experts, farmers expect optimum ‘aman’ output with supplementary irrigation

BSS :
Farmers and agricultural experts expect optimum output of country’s second major crop aman rice through introducing supplementary irrigation in view of late monsoon rains in parts of north and northwestern regions.

Lesser than expected rainfall in late July and early August had initially exposed farmers in the two regions to uncertainty about this year’s aman production, which was particularly crucial this year due to global grain supply challenges.

“But they (famers) were quick enough to opt for supplementary irrigation using the irrigation pumps as advised by concerned government bodies and agriculture experts,” Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) director general Dr M Shahjahan Kabir told BSS.

Farmers at several areas said aman seedlings grew older as they waited for rainfall to soften the soil reducing their quality a little but enhanced production was expected to cover the quality issue with the use of supplementary irrigation.

“I was forced to plant aman seedlings of over 20 days old on 10 kathas of land after days of waiting for rain.

It increased my farming cost, but I expect yield to high in volume to cover the cost,” a farmer of Babutoli village of Mymensingh said.