Three days of rain and gusty wind have flattened hundreds of bighas of Aman paddy in Thakurgaon. Besides Aman farmers, growers of early winter vegetables and potatoes have also suffered losses in various areas. The extent of the damage became clear during visits to parts of Sadar and other upazilas on Wednesday (20 October).

The storm and rain that began on Monday did not damage houses or trees, but Aman paddy on more than a hundred hectares in the district has been flattened. The paddy would have reached farmers' granaries in 10 to 15 days, but the sudden rain shattered their hopes in an instant, and farmers say they face big losses this Aman season.

Aman paddy has been planted on 137,350 hectares in the district this season.

In parts of Nargun, Begunbari, Salandar, Auliapur, Baragaon, Jagannathpur and Daulatpur unions of Sadar upazila and in other upazilas, most of the half-ripe paddy and vegetable fields were under water. Fearing that the panicles would rot in the standing water, many farmers were trying to save their crop by tying the plants into bunches and lifting them up.

Sariful Islam, a farmer in the Nargun Centerhat area of Sadar upazila, said the paddy would have started ripening in a few days. "But this sudden rain and gusty wind has flattened the Aman plants on 70-80 per cent of our land."

Abdullah Haque, a farmer in Auliapur, said insects would attack the flattened plants within a few days. "Then instead of paddy we will get only empty husks. Can we make up this loss?"

Sohel Rana, a farmer of Harinmari Jugihar village in Amjankhor union of Baliadangi upazila, said he had planted an early variety, BRRI Sumon Swarna, on three bighas. "The paddy in the field had ripened and was due to be brought home in 4-5 days. This untimely rain has flattened the ripe crop. Even if we can harvest it, the quality will be ruined." He said he had spent Tk 20,000 to Tk 22,000 a bigha this time, including fertiliser and pesticide, and now expected a loss of around Tk 8,000 to Tk 10,000.

Md Abu Hossain, deputy director of the district Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), said the extent of the losses had not yet been determined and work was under way. Potato farmers may also suffer minor losses because water has collected in their fields, he said.

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