Baishakh usually arrives with the promise of a new crop, but last Baishakh brought ruin to the farmers of the haor country.

Heavy rain and early hill run-off from upstream drowned the Boro paddy fields just before harvest.

There was no standing and watching the crop go under; farmers waded chest-deep into the water to cut whatever paddy they could, at considerable risk.

Even after that back-breaking effort, less than half a normal harvest came home.

Now, taking that hard-won crop to market, the farmers find themselves in fresh trouble.

Boro is the only major crop of the haor. When one season fails, the year's rice, the next season's seed and the repayment of loans are all put at risk together.

Costlier fertiliser and diesel will push up the coming Boro season's costs, and the losses of the last season have not been made up.

Photo: Mahbubur Rahman Khoka / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Source: Dainik Bangla