Bumper Aman production attributed to suitable weather in Bogura

Bountiful yields and fair market prices have brought renewed optimism to Aman farmers across Bogura this season. 

Favorable weather -- especially several timely spells of rain -- helped reduce irrigation costs and contributed to strong harvests.

Aman paddy has been cultivated across nearly all upazilas of the district, including Sadar, Sherpur, Shibganj, Nandigram, Gabtoli and Dhunat. 

Farmers plant Aman from late July to early September, with harvesting continuing from mid-November through December. Across these areas, the fields are now bustling with activity as harvesting and threshing are in full swing. 

Scenes of farmers cutting paddy with sickles, operating threshers and drying paddy near the fields have become common.

Farmers report that repeated rainfall kept the soil soft and reduced the need for costly irrigation. They also credit the availability of high-yielding seed varieties for the season's strong performance. While some late-season rain caused limited crop damage, most farmers say the losses were minimal.

Rafiqul Islam, a farmer, said this year's crop stands out compared to the last two years. "Due to timely rains, irrigation costs have dropped. Harvesting is costing around 25 to 30 maunds per bigha. With the good yield, we can cover our household expenses and repay loans," he said.

Another farmer, Abdul Khalek, echoed the sentiment. Though some paddy was damaged by recent rainfall, he said overall production remained strong. "The market price is also fair. So this year, we are at peace," he added.

Farmer Shahadat Hossain shared that cultivating one bigha of Aman costs between Tk15,000 and Tk20,000. "This season, we are getting 16 to 30 maunds of paddy per bigha. The improved seeds provided by the Agriculture Department have helped ensure a good yield," he said.

According to Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Aman has been cultivated on 1,83,500 hectares of land in the district this year. Officials expect a production of 9,91,917 tonnes of paddy, equivalent to about 6,61,278 tonnes of rice.