Flood damages vast aman fields in Lalmonirhat

Thousands of aman farmers affected by the recent flood in the district are facing uncertainty due to lack of saplings for replanting in their fields.

"I cultivated aman paddy on my four bighas of land this year, but the recent flood destroyed all the plants. I have no saplings in my stock, I have collected low quality saplings but paying high rate from a flood free village Falimari of the upazila for re-planting these on my affected field," said farmer Hamidul Islam of Bhitarkuti village in Aditmari upazila.

Shamsul Islam, a farmer of Kutirpar village in the upazila, said aman plants of his three bigahs of land have been damaged by the flood, but he could collect some aman saplings for replanting on only one bigha of land from a nearby flood free village.

Many flood affected farmers are searching for saplings for replanting aman in their affected fields but they are not available, he added.

"We are selling our additional aman saplings on one decimal of land for Tk 3,000 to 3,500. Flood affected farmers are purchasing those at high rates," said Nazrul Islam, a farmer of flood-free Falimari village of Aditmari upazila.

Aman paddy was cultivated on 83,618 hectares of lands in five upazilas of the district this year, said sources of the Department of Agriculture Extension in Lalmonirhat.

The recent flood has damaged aman paddy on about 15,000 bighas of land as the fields remained under the floodwater for 11 to 13 days.

Hamidur Rahman, Aditmari upazila agriculture officer, said, "Now replanting aman saplings will result in less output. We are suggesting farmers to prepare their affected fields for cultivating early variety wheat and mustard that will bring good yield and help recoup the loss in aman farming."