The embankment of the Dhalai river broke at the Mokabil border in Kamalganj upazila of Moulvibazar, flooding low-lying areas downstream. The sudden flood swamped homes, farmland and paved roads. Among the affected places is Bangaon village in the upazila's Adampur union, known for growing tomatoes by the grafting method, which is also practised in nearby areas. But the farmers' land is now covered only in heaps of sand washed in by the flood, and they spend their days worrying about when it will be fit to farm again.

On the ground, at least three unions have been completely inundated by the embankment breach. Roads have broken up, and farmland is filled with heaps of sand carried by the floodwater.

Kumel Mia, a tomato farmer of Islampur village, said: "I spent Tk 2 lakh planting seedlings. Everything drowned and died in the floodwater. I am left with nothing. The flood took everything." Several hundred farmers in the two unions are in the same state.

According to the district Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), aus was grown on 35,127 hectares this season, transplanted aman on 82,465 hectares, seedbeds on 5,109 hectares and vegetables on 550 hectares. Of this, 672 hectares of aus, 25,357 hectares of transplanted aman, 156 hectares of seedbeds and 268 hectares of vegetables were hit by the flood. Among vegetables, grafted tomato seedlings suffered the most.

More than a hundred farmers in eight villages of Islampur union support their families by selling grafted tomato seedlings, and also grow tomatoes themselves. Their produce is sold across the country. But the recent flood destroyed about 32 lakh tomato seedlings belonging to 354 farmers in 10 villages of the upazila. According to the agriculture department, the losses of more than 500 farmers in the two unions total Tk 6 crore.

Local agricultural researcher Ahmad Siraj said grafted tomato seedlings are produced in almost every household in Bangaon. Raising seedlings in nurseries and growing tomatoes are the village's main sources of income. As in Bangaon, many villages in the upazila have for several years been grafting tomatoes onto brinjal seedlings, and tomatoes have changed the fortunes of many. Seedling production and yields were high this year, but the recent flood destroyed everything. Hundreds of farmers have been left destitute, and none can afford to make good the loss and return to the field. Having lost tomato crops grown on loans from NGOs and traders, farmers are worried.

Rashid Mia and Khalik Mia, farmers in Bangaon, said they had grown tomatoes on 50 to 60 decimals of land with borrowed money. The flood finished everything, and they are now destitute.

Mokhles Mia, a farmer in Islampur, said: "I have not seen a flood like this in the last 15-20 years. This flood washed away all the crops in the fields. Many people's houses collapsed. People in our area depend on farming, and we have suffered a huge loss. I lost 40,000 seedlings. This loss can never be made good."

Roshan Mia, a farmer from the same area, said: "My tomatoes on 150 decimals of land and 40,000 nursery seedlings have been destroyed. Now I have no money to farm again."

Samsuddin Ahmed, deputy director of the DAE in Moulvibazar, told Jago News that farmers had suffered most from the flash flood. About 11,000 hectares of cultivated land in the district have been completely damaged. A list is being prepared to give farmers seed; replanting with that seed may reduce the losses somewhat. "We will keep trying to help affected farmers with incentives and farm inputs after listing them," he said.

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