A catastrophic combination of sudden heavy rainfall and upstream runoff has submerged approximately 18,400 hectares of Boro paddy in the haor regions of Netrokona, leaving at least 60,000 farmers facing financial ruin.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), nearly 17,000 hectares of crops have been completely destroyed.
For the farmers of the haor, Boro is the sole crop produced annually, following a long cycle of seedling transplantation, irrigation, and intensive care.
However, this year’s harvest has been devastated just as the ripening paddy was ready for the sickle. The worst-hit areas include Khaliajuri, where nearly 100 percent of crops are under water, alongside significant damage in Madan, Mohanganj, Kendua, Atpara, Kalmakanda, Barhatta, and Netrakona Sadar.
Farmers who managed to harvest part of their crops are unable to dry them due to lack of space and sunlight. Paddy is rotting and sprouting in the fields, pushing prices down to Tk500 to Tk600 per maund.
Although the government has launched a paddy procurement drive, most farmers are unable to sell to state warehouses due to strict moisture requirements and administrative complexities. Under government rules, a farmer can sell up to 75 maunds of paddy, with payments made through banking channels.
Many marginal farmers are being excluded due to the need to open bank accounts and get their names enlisted. Taking advantage of the situation, local middlemen and lenders are buying wet paddy at very low prices. Farmers burdened with loans are being forced to sell at these reduced rates.
Farmer Faisal Mia from Atpara upazila said paddy was selling at Tk750 to Tk850 per maund at the start of the harvest season, but has now dropped to Tk500 to Tk600. He said lack of sunlight is damaging the crop and pushing prices down further.
Farmers in at least 20 villages, including Mobarakpur, Matikata, Balikandi and Durgashram in Atpara, had cultivated Boro paddy hoping to meet their annual food needs. They said water cannot drain due to silted rivers and non-functional sluice gates.
Farmers in areas such as Meda Beel in Kalmakanda and Ganesh Haor in Madan believe unplanned embankments are the main cause of their suffering. They are now facing uncertainty over food for the year.
According to the agriculture department, Boro cultivation covered 185,547 hectares in 10 upazilas of Netrakona this year, including 41,065 hectares in haor areas.
Department of Agricultural Extension Deputy Director Md Amirul Islam said around 18,400 hectares of crops have been submerged so far, with about 17,000 hectares completely damaged. At least 60,000 farmers have been affected.
District food officials said that since the launch of the procurement drive on 3 May by Public Administration and Food State Minister Md Abdul Bari, about 11,000 metric tonnes of paddy have been purchased.
Water Development Board Executive Engineer Md Sakhawat Hossain said the crisis was caused by excessive rainfall and upstream water flow that led to siltation in rivers. He claimed no major embankment failures occurred except one in Kalmakanda and said monitoring was maintained during the rise in water levels.
