Country’s people, especially farmers living in the rural area, on Saturday, celebrated the ‘Nabanna Utsab’, a Bengali festival of harvesting new crops amid festivity and fervour.
With the ray of sunshine of the first day of Agrahayon (Bangla month), the farmers, the integral part of our nation as well as the country’s development, believe the new crops bring new hope and excitement to every home.
In the capital Dhaka, several programs including a cultural function were held at Bakultala of the Fine Arts Faculty at Dhaka University.
With playing the flute from 7:30 on Saturday morning, the festival began and continued till night. Bakultala of fine arts has become cheerful with Pithapuli, colorful costumes, mesmerizing sound of flutes, dance, songs, and so on.
On the other hand farmers across the country wished this year ‘Nabanna Utsab’ will be blissful one that will be bringing new hopes, opportunities and joy for our farmers.
This celebration has become an integral part of the tradition and culture of the Bangali nation.
The Bangla month Agrahayon adds an extraordinary dimension to the nature and lifestyle of Bengal.
The arrival of new crops, the nature becomes also colourful.
Tender Aman rice plants got ample sunlight to grow superbly despite less rainfall resulting in excellent output of the crop this time.
The government will procure a total of 10 lakh metric tons (MTs) of food grains from the marginal farmers across the country during the upcoming Aman season.
Under the programme, 3.5 lakh MTs paddy, 5.5 lakh MTs boiled rice and the rest one lakh MTs Atap rice will be procured.
The government has fixed the paddy procurement price at Tk 33 per kg, boiled rice at Tk 47 per kg and Atap rice at Tk 46 per kg.
The paddy and boiled rice procurement drive will begin on November 17 and will continue till February 28 in 2025, he added.
Apart from increasing food stock to ensure the country’s food security, the government wants to ensure fair price of crops of farmers.
This day is very significant for farmers of the country as they start harvesting new crops on the very first day of Bengali month of Agrahayan after waiting for months.
This is a joyous time in the village as the farmers return home with loads of golden paddy and the women make different types of home-made cakes with rice flour, to mark the festival.
Relatives come from one village to another to enjoy and share the happiness of the farmers.
Despite shrinking arable land due to rapid urbanisation and increasing non-human consumption, the country’s food security is being ensured by increasing crop production.
In this regard, farmers are playing a pioneering role towards supplying food to the country’s people and ensuring their food security.
The government must provide seeds, fertilisers, irrigation facilities and other agriculture inputs among the farmers in order to boost crop production.
All should keep in mind that the country will survive as long as the farmers will survive.
If farmers get all agriculture inputs smoothly, they will be encouraged to utilise every inch of land for food production cultivation.
