Unlocking agricultural diversification and intensification in Northern Bangladesh with short-duration aman rice

Sharif Ahmed, Abdullah Miajy, and Humnath Bhandari

Bangladesh’s economy dramatically depends on its agriculture sector, which contributes 13% to its gross domestic product. The country’s food security heavily relies on rice production, as rice is a staple food and the primary source of calories. Thus, 75% of the country’s land is used for rice cultivation.

Rice monocropping is the dominant cropping pattern in Bangladesh, covering around 27% of the country’s total area. However, this pattern covers over 50% of the land in certain areas, especially in northern Bangladesh.

Bangladeshi farmers must diversify their production to cope with climate change and agricultural transformation challenges. There is a tradeoff between crop diversification and food security in Bangladesh; therefore, cropping intensification is the best solution for crop diversification.

The wet or aman season, from June to September/October, poses significant challenges for cultivating multiple crops because of frequent rain and wet soil conditions. Aman rice is farmers’ most viable and profitable choice during this period. However, as a primary crop, during the aman season, rice is vulnerable to floods, storms, and drought.

Boro rice contributes around 55% of Bangladesh’s rice production, significantly supporting the country’s food security. The boro or dry season (October/November to May/June) is also the best time for crop diversification. Still, providing space for non-rice crops while cultivating boro rice is a significant challenge.

Mustard, potato, field pea, and carrot have been successfully grown between two rice cropping seasons. The best time to plant these crops is early November, which is only possible if the aman rice crop is harvested by the end of October or early November.

But,…