Rice farmers in Panchagarh have suffered losses after a sudden hailstorm damaged Aman paddy in several areas of the northern district on Wednesday evening.
The Agriculture Department estimates that around 12 hectares of farmland have been affected, with some harvested paddy submerged in rainwater and hailstones knocking grains off standing crops.
Rain began unexpectedly at around 5:30pm on Wednesday, accompanied by hail in several areas.
The affected locations include Haripur and Daulatpur in Moydan Dighi Union of Boda upazila, Bhatiapara in Chaklahat Union of Panchagarh Sadar upazila, and Ranachandi in Tirnahat Union of Tetulia upazila.
Rain and hail fell in two spells lasting 10 to 15 minutes.
Around 12 hectares of Aman paddy were damaged, including 10 hectares in Boda upazila, according to the Agriculture Department.
In some fields, harvested paddy was submerged in rainwater, while hailstones damaged standing crops.
Fallen grains could be seen scattered across fields, leaving farmers worried about their losses.
Many farmers had borrowed money to cultivate the crop and are now concerned about recovering their investment.
They usually store Aman rice to meet their household food needs and other expenses throughout the year.
The sudden hailstorm has put those plans at risk.
Khairul Alam, a farmer from Jhakua in Moydan Dighi Union of Boda upazila, said his fields had suffered extensive damage in the hailstorm.
“When I went to the field in the morning, I saw paddy lying on the ground. I was devastated. I borrowed money and worked so hard to grow this crop. Now I may not even recover my costs. How will I manage my livelihood?” he said.
Abinash Chandra Roy, a farmer from Haripur in Moydan Dighi Union, said he had cultivated two bighas of land on a sharecropping basis, spending more than Tk20,000.
He said he had expected to sell the rice, pay the landowner, support his family and set aside food for household consumption.
“But after the damage caused by last night’s rain, how will I make up for the loss?” he said.
The local weather office recorded 8mm of rainfall in Panchagarh over the previous 24 hours.
It said the sky remained cloudy under the influence of seasonal winds, but sunny weather was expected throughout the day.
Boda Upazila Agriculture Officer Ahmed Rashed Un Nabi said assistant agricultural officers were assessing the damage.
“We could not anticipate that sudden rain would cause such damage. This kind of weather is not usually seen during this season. The Agriculture Department is always beside the farmers,” he said.
