Untimely heavy rain has destroyed crops worth around Tk10.27 crore in Rajshahi, leaving at least 4,200 farmers in distress as they struggle to recover from the losses.
Farmers across several upazilas of Rajshahi faced the setback at the beginning of November following two days of unexpected downpour. Several thousands of acres of cropland went under water, damaging vegetables, onions, and Aman paddy.
Rabbani Mondol, a farmer from Shialber village in Paba upazila, said, “The land once filled with radish plants is now completely under water. Before I could take the crops to market, everything was ruined.”
“The water is not receding as ponds surround my field. I haven’t seen such rainfall at the beginning of November since 1986,” he added.
With tears in his eyes, Rabbani said agriculture officials had visited their area and assured them of support.
He said, “The government is providing us with seeds and fertilisers. Once the water dries up, I will start over. I have lost my crops but not my hope. For poor farmers like us, this incentive is the only relief.”
Besides Rajshahi Sadar, vast croplands in Paba, Mohonpur, Durgapur, Tanore, and Godagari upazilas remain waterlogged.
Shahidul Islam, another farmer from Paba, said, “I cultivated vegetables on 12 kathas of land, but everything is gone. The government has given us seeds and fertilizer, so we will start again. Farmers cannot give up.”
Zahid, a farmer of Durgapur’s Singa village, said about two bighas of half-ripe paddy were submerged by the rain on 31 October, just a week before harvest.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, around 64 millimeters of rain was recorded in Rajshahi between the night of 31 October and the morning of 1 November. The rainfall affected 2,150 bighas of farmland across the district.
DAE Deputy Director Mohammad Nasir Uddin said the heavy rainfall occurred due to a low-pressure system at the beginning of November, causing massive crop losses. “Vegetables suffered the most, with losses amounting to Tk2.67 crore,” he said.
Paba Upazila Agriculture Officer, MA Mannan, said, “We are advising farmers to start replanting as soon as the land dries up. Seeds and fertilisers for mustard, wheat, onion, and other crops have already been distributed.”
