Agriculture has suffered the heaviest damage in Khagrachhari district from the recent floods caused by continuous rain and hill run-off. About 8,000 farmers in the district have been affected. Crops on 313 hectares were destroyed, with a production loss of 273 tonnes, and the district administration puts the financial loss to agriculture at about Tk 12 crore 20 lakh 98 thousand.

According to the district office of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), the district currently has 8,130 hectares under cultivation and 8,355 hectares of cropland. Of this, 1,031 hectares of early-sown land were caught in the floods. Twenty-three hectares were completely damaged and 293 hectares partly damaged. The agriculture department says about 41.45 per cent of the partly damaged land could be recovered. A preliminary estimate of partial damage has also been made for 80 hectares.

Farmer Md Shahidul said: "With great difficulty I planted Aus paddy on two kani (80 decimals) of land, and all of it went under the floodwater. Now I am worried about how we will eat."

A. Hakim, a farmer in Merung union of Dighinala, said he had raised seedlings to plant three kani of land, but they were submerged and all rotted. "I have no money left to plant paddy again," he said.

Kritti Chakma, a woman farmer in Tarabunia, said her home had been damaged and her bottle gourd and vegetable plots had been ruined. "I don't know how we will get by now," she said.

Omkar Biswas, additional deputy director of the DAE in Khagrachhari, said the floods had caused extensive damage to Aman seedbeds, various vegetables, papaya and other seasonal crops. Even though the water has receded, silt, sand and mud have been left on much of the land, so it will take time for farming to return to normal. Plans are being made to help the affected farmers recover with seed, fertiliser and other farm inputs.

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