Under the influence of a low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal, Thakurgaon district had continuous rain and gusty winds from Monday night until Wednesday. Standing aman paddy, both green and ripe, has been flattened on 6,180 hectares. Farmers fear major losses if the water does not drain quickly. The agriculture department, however, says the amount of rain the district received poses little risk of crop damage.

Farmers said continuous rain began in Thakurgaon on Monday night, with occasional gusts of wind. At times it drizzled and at times it poured. Heavy rain fell on and off on Wednesday too, submerging aman and rabi crop fields in the district.

A visit on Thursday found fields submerged in various parts of Thakurgaon Sadar upazila, including Ghanimaheshpur in Ruhia, Shingpara in Salandar, Kachubari Hatpara in Auliapur, Nimbari and Bathina in Akcha, and Baradeshwari in Dholarhat. Aman paddy was under water. In many places the plants had fallen flat; apart from one or two, almost every field had its paddy bent to the ground.

Bikash Roy Chowdhury, a farmer of Kachubari Hatpara in Auliapur, grew aman on four acres and was due to harvest in 15 days. But the continuous rain and gusty wind flattened his paddy, and he fears he may lose the yield. "We worked so hard to grow it. And just when it was time to harvest, the rain ruined the ripe paddy," he said. Almost every field in the area is in the same state, Bikash said.

Aman plants have also fallen at Bathina in Akcha, Sadar upazila. Aman farmer Jageshwar Barman said insects would attack the flattened plants within a few days and the grains would turn chaff.

Abu Hossain, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Thakurgaon, said the aman target for the district this season was 137,025 hectares, and 137,315 hectares had been planted. At present the paddy on 6 per cent of the land is at the booting stage and on 39 per cent at the flowering stage, a sensitive period. Paddy on 6,180 hectares in the district has been flattened, and paddy at these two stages is at risk of damage because of it.

He said that besides aman, early winter vegetables on 650 hectares and early potatoes on 250 hectares had also been affected by the rain. Once the water recedes there is no risk to the vegetables, although radish-type vegetables may be spoiled. Farmers who have planted early potatoes face the risk of the seed potatoes rotting. The extent of crop damage in the district will be assessed within a few days, he said.

Source: Prothom Alo. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.