Paddy harvesting has begun in the haor wetlands of Kishoreganj, and farmers are busy cutting their crop. But there are no smiles on the faces of those who grew BRRI dhan28.

Neck blast disease has badly damaged the panicles of Boro paddy on about 58,000 hectares in the district, turning the grain to chaff, the report says. With the only crop of the year ruined, farmers are heavy-hearted.

Locals said the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) had this year built 63.174 kilometres of embankments in nine upazilas of Kishoreganj at a cost of Tk 10 crore to protect crops from early flash floods from the hills.

According to the district office of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Boro paddy was grown this year on 166,420 hectares in the district's 13 upazilas, while the target was set at 169,290 hectares. In the district's haor area, Boro was grown on 103,775 hectares, of which BRRI dhan28, the variety hit by neck blast, covered 28,880 hectares.

Farmer Harun Mia of Dampara Kamalpur village in Nikli upazila said the paddy on one acre he farmed in the Kamalpur Madoler haor had been completely destroyed by blast. Abdul Malek, a farmer from the Chhatirchar area, said he had grown the 29 and 79 varieties on seven acres, and most of his paddy had been ruined by the disease.

Moin Uddin, a member of Sadar union in Austagram upazila, had paddy damaged on two acres and 12 decimals. He said he had cut the straw from the field to feed his cattle, and that he would no longer grow BRRI dhan28 in the hope of an early harvest.

Dulal Mia, a farmer in the Itna haor, said: "This time the crop of BRRI dhan29 and other paddy is very good. We have already started harvesting and have cut the paddy on half the land. If the weather stays favourable, farmers will be able to bring home a bumper golden crop."

Ahed Ali, a farmer in Mithamoin, said: "It cost about Tk 1,000 to produce a maund of paddy, and a maund now sells for Tk 700. So where is the profit in growing paddy? If it sold for Tk 1,300 to 1,400 a maund, we could hope for a profit."

Agriculture department sources said paddy had been damaged by blast in the haor upazilas of Itna, Mithamoin, Austagram and Nikli and in parts of Tarail upazila, with BRRI dhan28 hit hardest. Affected plants show oval to round white spots with dark margins on the leaves. The disease also attacks the stem nodes and the panicles, breaking the stems and killing young seedlings. Apart from BRRI dhan28, other paddy has yielded well, farmers have started harvesting, and it is hoped they will get their Boro paddy home before the water arrives.

Md Matiur Rahman, executive engineer of the Kishoreganj BWDB, said 174 kilometres of embankments had been built this time in nine upazilas of Kishoreganj through 147 project implementation committees (PICs). Bearing last year's early flood in mind, the number of PICs was increased after considering the actual situation in the haor and the demands of local representatives and residents.

Agriculturist Abdus Sattar, deputy director of the Kishoreganj DAE, said farmers had earlier been discouraged from growing BRRI dhan28 and had been advised on remedies against the disease, including spraying the necessary pesticides in advance. He said paddy on 58 hectares in the haor area had been affected by blast, and he has warned farmers not to grow BRRI dhan28 at all in future.

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