Agri products on 9,293 hectares damaged

Zahurul Islam gives a bleak look at his aman field damaged by stagnant floodwater at Uria village in Fulchhari upazila of Gaibandha district. Photo: STAR

Prolonged flood for the third time in this season has damaged crops and vegetables on 9,293 hectares of land in the district.
Transplanted aman on 7,243 hectares of land and vegetables on 98 hectares of land in the district have been totally destroyed as floodwater got stagnant for a pretty long time, said officials of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE).
Agricultural products on 1952 hectares have been damaged partially.
Total damage by the flood has been assessed at Tk 27 crore 84 lakh.
DAE sources said 1,27,365 hectares of land was brought under aman cultivation against the target of 1,18,649 hectares during this crop season and the department is expecting production of 3 lakh 10 thousand tonnes of aman this season.
But the prolonged flood in four upazilas of the district would cause loss of 8,692 tonnes of rice.
There is a little opportunity to transplant a late variety aman locally called ganjiya, but it would cover only 200 hectares of land in char lands in river basin areas of the district, said a DAE official.
"The floodwater washed away aman seedlings on vast char lands. Now we cannot afford the cost of transplanting aman seedling afresh due to its high price," said Afzal Hossain, a farmer of Kuthipara village in Fulchhari upazila.
Joyenuddin of Madhya Uria village in Fulchhari upazila said he had transplanted aman seedling on two bighas of land at the beginning of the season but all was destroyed under water during the first surge of flood.
"With the money borrowed for high interest, I transplanted seedlings for the second time, but untimely flood again washed away all the seedlings, making me utterly helpless," he added.
Jahurul Islam of Uria village, Fazlu Mia of Kathur village, Mobarak Ali of Kabilpur village in Fulchhari upazila said they will have to suffer till harvest of rabi crops as floodwater washed away their aman crops twice in this season.
As the crops in flood affected areas get covered with sediment from river water, the plants are perished soon after recession of water, locals said.
Besides, many of the croplands are still under stagnant water.
At least 200 acres of cropland at Karaibari and Kittaniyapara villages in Kamarjani union turned unproductive, as thick layer of sand got deposited there by floodwater from the upstream, said Nurun Nabi Sarker, chairman of Kamarjani union under Gaibandha Sadar upazila.
"This season aman farming exceeded our target in Gaibandha district, but untimely floodwater damaged huge crops in char areas. The DAE will extend all possible help to farmers in the rabi crop season to recoup the loss," said Mir Md Abdur Razzak, deputy director of Gaibandha DAE.