Farmers in the Rangpur and Narail regions of Bangladesh are anticipating a strong Aman rice harvest this season, with cultivation surpassing official targets despite challenges posed by limited rainfall in some areas. Favourable weather in recent weeks, combined with timely irrigation, attentive crop management, and government support, have contributed to the optimistic outlook.
In the Rangpur agricultural region, which includes the districts of Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, and Nilphamari, Aman paddy has been planted on approximately 621,690 hectares—exceeding the target of 621,550 hectares by 140 hectares. The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has set a production goal of 2,005,028 tonnes of clean rice, equivalent to about 3,007,542 tonnes of paddy, for the region this season.
Krishibid Md Saiful Islam, Additional Director of the DAE's Rangpur region, noted that despite relatively low and intermittent monsoon rainfall, a bumper harvest remains likely. Farmers have supplemented rainfall with irrigation where necessary, and soil moisture levels combined with scattered rains have supported healthy crop growth. He added that even absent further rainfall, yields are expected to be favorable, though additional rain or irrigation could enhance output, particularly in late-planted fields situated on higher ground.
According to DAE data, the crop in Rangpur is currently at various growth stages: 2.35 percent at panicle initiation, 24.43 percent at booting, 33.58 percent at flowering, 16.26 percent at milking, 13.59 percent at dough, 6.50 percent at ripening, and 3.29 percent has already been harvested. Short-duration Aman paddy varieties are grown on more than 113,000 hectares in the region, with farmers having harvested 20,436 hectares to date, yielding 64,973 tonnes of clean rice, or 97,460 tonnes of paddy.
Similarly, in Narail district, Aman rice cultivation has also exceeded official targets, raising expectations for a bumper harvest across its three upazilas. Farmers have transplanted Aman paddy on 43,675 hectares, surpassing the target of 43,465 hectares by 210 hectares. The production target for Narail stands at 137,791 tonnes of rice.
Nipu Majumder, a sub-assistant agriculture officer with the DAE, confirmed that Aman cultivation has exceeded targets in all upazilas. DAE Deputy Director Muhammad Arifur Rahman attributed the consistent cultivation of transplanted Aman paddy to government incentives that encourage farmers each year. Harvesting and threshing of ripe paddy have already commenced in various parts of the district.
Overall, despite some rainfall deficiencies during the monsoon, combined efforts from farmers and government agencies appear to be supporting a robust Aman rice season in these regions.