S M Shafiqul Islam, Lalmonirhat :
Farmers’ cash crop T-Aman farming is being hampered seriously due to prevailing drought- like situation in all five upazilas in the northern Lalmonirhat district.
Cracks have been developing in the crop fields due to lack of water affecting the cultivation of T-Aman paddy during the current season.
The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Lalmonirhat set a target to bring a total of 80,563 hectares of land under T-Aman cultivation this year with the production target of 2,08,270 tonnes of rice. AED recorded only 320 Mili Meter (mm) rainfall in the last month July but it was recorded 2850 mm in the last year 2013 and 3520 mm was recorded in 2012.
The highest temperature in the district was recorded between 34 to 37 Degree Celsius in the last month July, Met office in Rangpur officials sources said.
Talking to the farmers Nirmol Chandra barmon,58, Taruni Kanta Roy,62, of Kurul village in Lalmonirhat sadar Taher Ali,50, Nur Islam,45, Nabir Hossain,53, of Sarpukur village at Aditmari upazila and many others at different villages said, T-Aman paddy cultivation was seriously hampered as they were facing problem to transplant the seedlings for want of required water.
In this situation, the poor and marginal farmers are in great trouble as we cannot provide water from the diesel run shallow machines in the land properly due to high cost of irrigation,” they said adding all the farmers are eagerly waiting for rainfall.
The president of Ekota Krishak Samity at Sarpukur village of Aditmari upazila Nurul Miah said, they are farming T-Aman paddy through irrigation using diesel- run shallow machines, so the production cost will be increased to a great extent.
