(BSS) - Farmers across the district are busy transplanting Aman paddy as favourable weather, easy access to agricultural inputs, the growing adoption of new varieties, government incentives and guidance from agricultural officials are encouraging them to diversify cultivation this season.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), farmers have so far transplanted Aman seedlings on 45,861 hectares of land in the district. Of the total, 43,783 hectares have been planted with high-yielding varieties, 1,902 hectares with hybrid varieties and 176 hectares with local varieties.

The district has set a target of cultivating transplanted Aman on 77,010 hectares of land this year.

Ahmedul Kabir, a farmer from Mohanpur area of Sadar upazila, said the weather is favourable for Aman cultivation. He prepared seedlings himself and has transplanted four bighas of land—two bighas with Miniket and two bighas with Kajallata varieties.

He said land preparation and transplantation, including three rounds of ploughing, cost around Taka 5,000 per bigha in labour expenses.

Mohammad Taufiquzzaman, a farmer from Kaigram in the Chalan Beel region, said he has completed planting aromatic BRRI Dhan-34 and BRRI Dhan-49 varieties.

Although these varieties generally produce somewhat lower yields, he said, they fetch considerably higher prices in the market.

Julfikar Anam, a model farmer from Kumira village in Chalan Beel, said he is waiting for the water level in the wetlands to recede before beginning cultivation on his 12 bighas of land.

Singra Upazila Agriculture Officer Khandaker Farid Hasan said the upazila has set a target of cultivating Aman paddy on 23,000 hectares this season, while transplantation has already been completed on around 12,000 hectares of land.

“Water is gradually receding from the beel areas, and many farmers will cultivate transplanted Aman after harvesting their Aus paddy,” he said, adding that Aman cultivation is expected to continue until the first half of October.

Farmers in Chalan Beel are increasingly opting for aromatic rice varieties used to produce premium ‘polao rice’ because of their higher market prices, he said.

Farmers are also cultivating nutritionally enriched zinc varieties, including BINA Dhan-90 and BINA Dhan-103. The agriculture department is encouraging farmers to adopt these varieties.

The DAE said the government has provided incentives to 14,000 small and marginal farmers in the district. Each farmer received five kilograms of seed and 10 kilograms each of DAP and MOP fertilizer free of cost for cultivating transplanted Aman on one bigha of land.

In addition, free seed has been distributed among 800 farmers in four upazilas as an incentive to expand BINA Dhan-20, a zinc-enriched bio-fortified rice variety.

Seedlings have already been raised in seedbeds and transplanted. Demonstration plots of BINA Dhan-20, covering one acre each, are also being established in the four upazilas.

Deputy Director of DAE, Natore, Mohammad Habibul Islam Khan said weather conditions remain favourable for transplanted Aman cultivation and that paddy seedlings, fertilizer, irrigation and other agricultural inputs are readily available.

He said the government has provided seeds and fertilizers as incentives to encourage farmers to cultivate paddy while demonstration farms are also being established.

“Sub-assistant agriculture officers are providing necessary advice to farmers at the grassroots level, while the upazila and district agriculture offices are closely monitoring all activities,” he added.