Zakir Azad, Cumilla

Farmers of Cumilla became worried as there was no rain at the beginning of transplanted Aman ( T-Aman ( season.

Apprehension arises in T- Aman plantation. So the farmers have raised a wave of green in the fields of Cumilla by running irrigation pumps like Boro season.

In Cumillas 1 lakh 15 thousand 350 hectares of land have brought under T- Aman farming.

While visiting to Burichang Upazila Kakia Char area of Cumilla , green crops are swinging in the field. Someone is weeding the land. Someone is trying to control insects. But after going to the field, the farmers told a different story.

Farmers of Kakia Char area. A few people including Harun Mia said, this time Ropa Aman paddy plantation became uncertain. It has not rained so much this season. I am in trouble with rice cultivation. Later on the request of the local agriculture officials the irrigation pump owners started the irrigation pump.

After they give water, they plant saplings of paddy. This is the first time we have planted rice with irrigation.

Pump driver Sakhawat Hossain said, we have been running irrigation pumps for 20 years. Usually the pump runs during Boro season. As there is no rain this time, we irrigate 250 acres of land on the advice of the agriculture office.

Farooq Ahmed , Deputy Assistant Agriculture Ifficer of Nimsar block, said that due to the drought, the saplings could not be planted this time. So the farmers encouraged the pump drivers to plant paddy. Timely planting will give good yield of paddy and they will be able to plant the next crop on time.

Burichang Upazila Agriculture Officer (Acting) agriculturist Banin Roy said, the target of planting this year in Burichong Upazila was 9 thousand 375 hectares of land. 72 and 117 mm of rainfall were recorded in the two months of Asadha and Shravan.

If rice is planted late, the yield is reduced. Therefore, under the guidance of the Deputy Director, in the month of Bhadra, we arranged to run 535 irrigation pumps through the field officers. In this we are able to plant saplings of rice in more than hundred percent of the land.

Agricultural Extension Department Cumilla deputy director agriculturist Md. Mizanur Rahman said, this is the first time in 42 years that Cumilla has received the least amount of rain during the monsoon season.

Rain dependent crops could not be cultivated. This time in Ropa Aman Abad we have to do a big struggle. I went to different upazilas with the help of administration, pump owners, farmers and agricultural field officers and arranged to start irrigation machines. It did not disturb our plantation.

Now the condition of crops in the field is good. In our district this time the target was one lakh 15 thousand 35 hectares. I have achieved this target 100%.