Growers prepare land again as vegetables on 1,900 hectares damaged

A large number of vegetable farmers affected by the recent cyclone Bulbul are now preparing their fields for cultivation of the seasonal crops again in a bid to recoup the loss.

Md Hafizur Rahman of Kumirmara village under Patuakhali’s Kalapara upazila cultivated early variety of vegetables like brinjal, gourd, radish, carrot and lal shak on his 50 decimals of land this year but the cyclone damaged the growing crops.

“I had spent Tk around 15,000 for the cultivation but now I am preparing the field again to grow vegetables,” he said.

Abdul Bareq of nearby Amirabad village is also in the same boat.

“I cultivated seasonal vegetables on my three acres of land at a cost of Tk 20,000 but I have to restart the work as all the plants were damaged due to flooding by heavy rainfall during the cyclone,” said Bareq.

Abdur Razzak Hawlader of the same village said he cultivated vegetables on four bighas of land at a cost of Tk around 50,000 and hoped to earn over Tk 2 lakh this year by selling the produces.

“But the cyclone dashed my hopes and I am preparing two bighas of land to grow vegetables again,” he said.

Farmers of several villages including Alempur, Gamoirtala, Kumirmara, Pakhimara and Amirabad of Nilganj union are busy to grow vegetables again on their affected fields.

Most of the farmers in Nilganj union are involved in seasonal vegetable cultivation as it is more profitable than paddy, said Forkan, a farmer of Pakhimara.

“We supply seasonal vegetables to local bazaars including those in Kalapara upazila town,” he said.

Thousands of farmers have been affected by cyclone Bulbul and we have already sent their list to the higher authorities for steps to rehabilitate them, said Abdul Mannan, Kalapara upazila agriculture officer.

In Patuakhali, 2400 hectares of land has been brought under seasonal vegetable cultivation this year and of it, crops on 1908 hectares were destroyed by the cyclone and accompanying rain and tidal surges, said Redoyeswar Dutta, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture Extension in the district.

The damage to vegetables and Aman paddy in the district has been estimated at Tk 72.01 crore, he said.