In Ishwardi upazila of Pabna, rain has fallen for 15 days in a row, sometimes on and off and sometimes in torrents. Hundreds of acres of vegetable fields have gone under water, rot has already set in on waterlogged plots, and farmers are counting their losses.

Across the upazila's known vegetable-growing villages and fields, including Bharoimari, Naodapara, Amsardair, Jagannathpur, Aotapara, Silimpur, Char Gargari, Muladuli, Baghhachhla and Char Mirkamari, water was standing on most plots of okra, pointed gourd, snake gourd and ridge gourd. Radish fields and coriander have suffered most, and early cauliflower is rotting.

Mosammat Shirin Khatun, a woman farmer from Char Mirkamari, said her three bighas of okra now stand in knee-deep water. "We are picking okra in the rain. But the rain means no new flowers are coming on the plants, and water around the roots has started rot. A few more days under water and it will be completely lost."

Radish grower Rabiul Islam said radish is a delicate vegetable that rots at the slightest change in the weather. "I lease land and grow radish every year, and I did so this year too. But the rain of the past few days has rotted everything."

Bean grower Abdul Majid said he had planted an early variety of "auto" bean on five and a half bighas. "About two and a half feet of water is standing over the whole field. If the rain continues the whole plot will go under. Even if the water drains now, the plants will be badly damaged. They will wither and rot."

With most of the upazila's vegetable fields under water, prices have risen in the markets. Brinjal was selling at Tk 120 a kg, bitter gourd Tk 80, pointed gourd Tk 50, spiny gourd Tk 60, okra Tk 50, sweet pumpkin Tk 50 a kg, yardlong beans Tk 60, bottle gourd Tk 40 to 50 depending on size, papaya Tk 25 to 30, hybrid cucumber Tk 40 and local cucumber Tk 90, taro Tk 50, ash gourd Tk 30 a piece, sponge gourd Tk 30, elephant foot yam Tk 70 a kg, ridge gourd Tk 40 and taro stolons Tk 80 a kg.

Helal Uddin, officer in charge of the Ishwardi weather observatory, said Ishwardi had been getting heavy rain for several days, far more than at any other time, and that the rain would continue for a few more days.

Ishwardi Upazila Agriculture Officer Abdul Momin said very heavy rain could submerge crops on some low-lying land, which would return to normal once the rain eased. He said vegetable prices were a little high because of the flood situation across the country, which happens in the monsoon.

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