Natore farmers busy with Aman rice planting

Farmers across Natore district are immersed in transplanting Aman paddy this season, with favourable weather, accessible agricultural inputs and government incentives driving a notable diversification into new rice varieties.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, 45,861 hectares have already been planted against a district-wide target of 77,010 hectares, predominantly with high-yielding varieties, though hybrid and local strains also feature. Farmers in the Chalanbeel floodplain, renowned as a regional granary, are increasingly gravitating towards fragrant varieties like BRRI dhan-34 and 49, which command premium prices despite comparatively modest yields, alongside nutrient-enriched zinc varieties such as Bina dhan-90 and 103; officials say cultivation will continue through mid-October as receding floodwaters permit. To bolster adoption, the agriculture department has distributed free seed and fertiliser incentives to 14,000 smallholder and marginal farmers for one bigha each, while 800 farmers across four upazilas have received free seed for the zinc-biofortified Bina dhan-20 variety, supported by demonstration plots established in each upazila.

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Md Habibul Islam Khan, deputy director of the department's Natore office, said prevailing weather conditions remain conducive to cultivation, with seedlings, fertiliser and irrigation readily available, while sub-assistant agricultural officers continue providing field-level guidance under close district and upazila supervision.