Farmers in different upazila of Rajbari are busy purchasing paddy saplings for planting in their croplands amid the ongoing Aman planting season across the country.

During a recent visit to Khankhanapur Haat, a market that sits twice a week on Tuesday and Friday, in Rajbari Sadar upazila this correspondent saw hundreds of farmers gathered at the market to buy or sale Aman saplings of different varieties like BR-17, BR-33, BR-75, BINA-7, Golden-1, Dhanigol, Sorna, Binashail, and Latishail.

Usually, sale of Aman paddy plants starts on the first week of July and continues till mid-September, according to the market's management committee.

"I had to spent Tk 8,500 to grow Aman saplings on my 20 decimals of land. I have already earned Tk 11,000 by selling a portion of the saplings and hope to earn Tk 7000 to Tk 8000 more this season," said Amir Ali Sordar, a sapling seller.

One of the local traders Rafiqul Islam said, "I purchase paddy saplings from different areas and brought those to the market."

He manages to earn Tk 1,500 to Tk 2,000 per day by selling the paddy plants, Rafiqul said.

Meanwhile, farmer Nikhil Kor of Bajitpur village said he comes to Khankhanapur Haat to purchase paddy saplings for Aman cultivation every year.

"I came to buy 17 loads of saplings to cultivate my 90 decimals of land, each load of saplings can roughly cover five decimals of land. So far, I have spent Tk 3,000 to purchase five loads of saplings," Nikhil said.

Abdul Kuddus Mollah, a leaseholder of the market, said, "It is one of the biggest paddy sapling markets in Rajbari. Paddy growers and sapling sellers and buyers from different adjacent districts including Faridpur and Madaripur come here to buy and sell different varieties of paddy saplings."

"On an average paddy sapling worth around Tk 50,000 to Tk 60,000 get sold on every market day," Kuddus said. 

"If it rains more in the next couple of weeks, the sale will be even more," he added.