Dhaka, Sept. 28 -- Hilli communities in Khagrachhari are celebrating a bumper harvest of jhum (shifting cultivation) rice this year.Favorable rainfall and ideal weather conditions have contributed to high yields and families are already harvesting golden rice paddies across the hills.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), nearly 1,050 hectares of land in the district were cultivated through jhum by around 5,000 families during the 2024-25 fiscal year, an increase of 26 hectares compared to last year. Last year, rice production reached 1,540 metric tons while the target has been set at 1,548 metric tons this year.

Md. Abdullah Al Malek, scientific officer at the Khagrachhari Hill Agriculture Research Institute, sai...