Farmers devastated as 5000 hectares of paddy field under water in Banaripara

Publish: 8:39 PM, May 16, 2022 | Update: 8:39 PM, May 16, 2022

S Mizanul Islam, Banaripara (Barisal) Correspondent

In Banaripara, due to the effects of cyclone Ashani and continuous rains, paddy fields were submerged and due to labor crisis, farmers could not harvest paddy at the right time. Thousands of farmers are upset due to fear of destruction of paddy.
Fearing a catastrophic cyclone, farmers have been desperately trying to get their crops out of the water for the past few days. The labor crisis has taken a definite shape as everyone wants to cut paddy and take it home.
According to the Banaripara Agriculture Office, local and hybrid varieties of paddy are cultivated in 5,610 hectares of land in Banaripara during the current boro season. A target of 40,000 metric tons of paddy production was set for this season. Although there are 22 thousand farming families in the upazila, 8 thousand farmers cultivated paddy in Boro season. Among them are landowners and share croppers. Someone has 10 bighas of land and someone has one bigha. Again, someone is a sharecropper. As a result, there is a difference in the amount of damage. Many of those whose land has ripened in advance have cut it and taken it home during Ramadan. Those whose paddy has ripened later or due to the labor crisis could not take home at the right time. They are now being harmed. Farmer Yar Hossain, who planted 10 hectares of land in Betal village, said the crop was very good this year. Crops are now on the verge of extinction due to sudden onslaught of harmful insects, labor crisis, torrential rains and hostile weather. Doubts will arise as to the cost we have incurred to plant the crop. Now in this situation we have no choice but to get government help. AH Quddus, a farmer from Baishari village, Moti Sardar from Didihar village, Badal, a farmer from Iluhar village, Yar Hossain, a barga farmer from Jambadwip village and Md. Bisharkandi said they were in a state of extreme anxiety and frustration as their crops were submerged in rain water and they could not harvest paddy at the right time due to the labor crisis. Meanwhile, thousands of farmers who have been cultivating paddy with loans are most worried.
Meanwhile, if the storm continues, it will have a negative impact not only in the Boro season but also in the coming Aush season. Because now is the right time to make the Aush season seedbed.
However, due to the labor crisis, farmers are not able to harvest the boro season crop at home.
In this regard, Banaripara Upazila Agriculture Officer Md. Zahidul Islam Biswas said that insects are found in the paddy fields due to hostile weather and scorching heat. However, it is possible to eradicate insects by applying pesticides while the paddy is still standing. But it is not possible if the paddy is bent. Due to the effect of thunderstorms waterlogging has occurred in the fields. He said that government assistance was needed to compensate the farmers for the loss of paddy due to submergence of paddy and inability to harvest paddy at the right time due to the labor crisis.