Sunamganj's farmers have recovered from the wounds of the floods, and farmers on the edge of the haors are happy to see a bumper aman crop this year.

A visit found the district's flood-hit farmers somewhat relieved by the aman yield. This year's aman target for the district was 81,100 hectares, but with favourable weather transplanted aman was grown on 82,215 hectares. The harvest festival began in different parts of the district on 1 Agrahayan.

According to the district office of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), aman was grown on 14,625 hectares in Dowarabazar upazila, 12,955 hectares in Chhatak, 11,610 hectares in Sunamganj Sadar, 9,555 hectares in Jagannathpur, 8,755 hectares in Bishwambharpur, 6,335 hectares in Tahirpur, 4,570 hectares in Dharmapasha, 4,210 hectares in Shantiganj, 2,225 hectares in Derai, 2,130 hectares in Shalla and 4,545 hectares in Jamalganj. The most widely grown varieties this year were BRRI dhan49 and BR22.

A farmer named Helal Mia said the floods had wrecked his home. "After that I was very worried about how we would get back on our feet. In the end I borrowed money to grow aman, and it has given a bumper yield. Now we will stand on our feet again."

Farmer Zahid Mia told Jago News that the aman yield was a bumper one compared with the previous two years. "We are cutting the paddy and bringing it home. We struggled a lot after the flood, and now that hardship will end."

Farmer Rustam Mia told Jago News: "Seeing the paddy has soothed my heart. I borrowed money to grow it, and I am happy to see such a bumper yield."

Bimal Chandra Som, deputy director of the district's agricultural extension department, said paddy had already been harvested from 10,100 hectares of aman land, and that the favourable weather had produced a bumper crop this year.

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