Under the influence of a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal, continuous rain and gusty winds lashed the area from Monday night to Wednesday, flattening unripe and ripe aman paddy on hundreds of hectares. Farmers fear major losses if the water does not drain quickly. The agriculture department, however, says the amount of rain that fell in Ranisankail upazila poses little risk to crops.

Farmers say the rain began on Monday night in Ranisankail, Thakurgaon, with occasional gusts of wind. At times it drizzled, at times it poured, and heavy rain fell on and off on Wednesday too, submerging fields of aman and rabi crops.

On Friday, fields across the upazila were under water and aman paddy was submerged. In many places the rice plants had fallen flat; apart from one or two, the paddy in almost every field had keeled over.

Enamul Haque, a farmer in the Dharmagarh area, has grown aman on three acres and was due to harvest in 15 days. But the rain and gusty wind have laid his plants on the ground, and he is worried whether he will get any yield. "We grew it with so much hardship, and just when it was time to harvest, the rain has ruined the ripe paddy," he said. Almost every field in the area is in the same state, he said.

Aman plants have also fallen in the Ratore area of the upazila. Aman grower Jogeshwar Barman said pests will attack the flattened plants within a few days, leaving the grains empty.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, aman has been grown on 21,455 hectares in the upazila this season. At present 6 per cent of the crop is at the booting stage and 29 per cent at flowering, a sensitive period. Many plants have fallen, and the paddy at these two stages is at risk of damage.

Agriculture officer Sanjay Debnath said the rain has also damaged early winter vegetables and early potato fields besides aman. Vegetables are not at risk once the water drains, but radish-type crops may be spoiled, and those who have planted early potatoes face the risk of the seed tubers rotting. The extent of crop damage in the upazila can be assessed within a few days, he said.

Source: Amader Shomoy. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.