Added worry for flood-hit Boro farmers

A large number of farmers in haor areas of Sunamganj are passing a worrying time as lack of sunlight causes problem to dry whatever Boro paddy they could save from the recent floods. 

“This year my Boro paddy was damaged first by blast attacks and later due to floods. Now I am facing problem to dry the rest of harvested paddy due to lack of sunlight,” said Sohel Ahmed, a resident of Sreepur area under Tahirpur upazila.

“I am now worried about maintaining family throughout the year,” he said.

“I have taken the nearly rotten paddy on the road for drying and could save only 20% of it. What will my seven member family eat throughout the year?” said Banu Begum, 45, of Nischintapur village of the upazila.

Tula Mia, 55, of the same village said he brought the paddy from under the water in Haor area with hope to save it by drying in the sun.

“We were supposed to sell our crops but now we are buying rice from the market to meet our daily needs as we got rotten paddy,” said Nizam Uddin from Anandanagor village beside Tanguar Haor in Tahirpur.

Habib Mia of the same village said Boro paddy on his 2.5 acres of land has started rotting as it remained under floodwater for last six days.

Many farmers of the district said they would not get expected Boro yield this year for different causes. Many of them expressed worry about repayment of loan they took for the cultivation.

Swapan Kumar Saha, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture Extension in Sunamganj, said, “Flood caused rotting of paddy in some areas. Besides, farmers are facing problem to dry the harvested paddy due to lack of sunshine. But it is not any obstacle for achieving the target.”