Cyclones strike at this time every year, and it is also crop season in the country. Vegetable plots and livestock and poultry farms need looking after all year round, so farmers have to think about protecting their animals, birds and crops from cyclones. Here is some advice on protecting crops from cyclone damage.

• Harvest boro rice quickly once it is 80 per cent ripe.
• If harvested crops cannot be transported, stack them in the field and cover them with polythene sheets.
• Make sure the crops are not damaged by stormy winds and heavy rain.
• Quickly harvest vegetables and fruit that have ripened.
• Hold off on irrigation, fertiliser and pesticide application for now.
• Raise the bunds of boro rice fields to protect standing crops from the flow of water.
• Keep drainage channels clear so that water does not collect in the fields.
• Keep all farm produce in a safe place.
• Tie up sugarcane clumps, and stake bananas, other horticultural crops and vegetables.
• Put nets around ponds so fish are not washed away by excess water during heavy rain.
• Keep cattle, ducks and chickens in a dry, safe place.

Citing the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).

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