Even after the 14th of Shrabon, in the middle of the rainy season, there has not been enough rain in Thakurgaon. In other years water runs through the fields at this time, but this year the drought has left them dry, and the district's farmers are struggling to plant aman paddy.

Thakurgaon lies somewhat higher than other districts, so rainwater does not stay for long, and farmland holds water only in the rainy season. This year there was little rain in Baishakh, Jaishtha, Asharh and even the middle of Shrabon, so the water in the fields has dried up and the soil is cracking. Still the farmers have not stopped. Hoping for rain, they have started planting aman with irrigation from shallow machines. They are busy repairing field ridges to hold water, ploughing, irrigating, planting seedlings and tending their crops.

Sadekul Islam, a farmer from Maligaon village in Sadar upazila, said: "This year, with fertiliser, pesticide and labour costs up and no rain, the cost of planting paddy with machine irrigation is doubling. Unbearable load-shedding is also badly disrupting irrigation. I am uncertain about aman production and yield this year."

Nazrul Islam, a farmer from Biswaspur village, said: "There is no water, so I can't plant on time. I have planted some paddy with machine irrigation, but it is drying and the plants are turning reddish. Irrigating one bigha by machine costs about Tk 1,000. Ploughing, irrigation and day labour cost much more this year, so production costs are much higher."

Maghu Ram, a farmer from Banbari village in Pirganj upazila, said: "There has been no rain this season. Even when it rains a little, the soil doesn't get wet. Now I have started planting with water from a shallow machine. The heat is also drying the soil, and the planted seedlings are dying."

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), the district's aman target is 137,100 hectares, with a production target of 476,330 metric tonnes. So far 1,090 deep tubewells, 16,075 shallow tubewells, 42 LLPs and 62 solar irrigation pumps have been put into operation for irrigation.

Md Sirajul Islam, deputy director of the district DAE, told Jagonews: "As the chance of rain is low this year, BADC and Barendra have been asked to restart idle irrigation equipment quickly. Farmers are also being given all kinds of advice on aman cultivation."

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