Farmers of six southern-western districts are beside themselves with joy due to bumper production of paddy and satisfactory prices this year.

Additional Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Jessore Chandi Das Kundu said 3,14,995 hectares of land had been cultivated in six SW districts in the 2015/16 season, while it was 3,55,973 hectares in 2016/17 season.

Paddy was cultivated on 1,51,805 hectares of land in Jessore, 83,455 hectares in Jhenidah, 31,785 hectares in Magura, 3,3235 hectares in Kushtia, 33,548 hectares in Chuadanga and 22,145 hectares in Meherpur this year.

The target was 1,51,888 hectares in Jessore, 82,020 hectares in Jhenidah, 36,060 hectares in Magura, 3,60,10 hectares in Kushtia, 33,396 hectares in Chuadanga and 21,846 hectares in Meherpur.

Iqbal Hossain, a farmer of Sundarpur village in Kaliganj upazila, said he cultivated paddy on two bighas of land this year. He will get around 60 maunds of paddy from two bighas, which he will sell for Tk 55,000, he said, adding that he has not harvested so much paddy for ten years. 

Farmer Shahinur Rahman of Bagachra village under Jessore Sadar upazila said he got 63 maunds of paddy from two bighas.

Deputy Director of Jhenidah DAE Shah Akramul Haque said farmers are happy as they have got high yield of paddy and good price this year. The price of paddy is Tk 900 to Tk 1,000 per maund, he added.