Hail has damaged paddy and mango on 248 hectares in several upazilas of Chapainawabganj: paddy on 175 hectares and mango on 73 hectares.

Dr Md Iyasin Ali, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Chapainawabganj, gave the figures to Jago News on Friday evening (2 May). The damage was caused by a few minutes of hail in parts of Gomostapur and Nachole upazilas on Thursday afternoon (1 May).

Dr Md Iyasin Ali said Sadar received 45 millimetres of rain, Nachole 38 millimetres and Gomostapur 10 millimetres, with hail in Nachole and Gomostapur. Paddy on 175 hectares and mango on 73 hectares were damaged, and some vegetable land was also spoiled. A preliminary report has been prepared and sent to the relevant office.

The agriculture department put the damage to mango and paddy at 10 per cent.

Farmers are worried about the lost paddy and mango. Rafiqul Islam, a paddy farmer in Gomostapur upazila, said: "I planted boro on 5 bighas this year, but the strong wind and hail knocked down half the grain, and all the paddy plants have been flattened."

Baten Ali, a mango grower in Nachole upazila, said: "I fear 30 per cent of the mangoes in my orchard will be lost. Hundreds of maunds of mangoes fell yesterday, and I am worried."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.