Standing crops on 78,589 hectares of land have so far been submerged under floodwater in seven affected northern districts along the Brahmaputra basin, sources in the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said.
The submerged crops include growing fields of Transplanted Aman (T-Aman) on 66,378 hectares of land, Aman seedbed on 973 hectares, ripe Aus on 4,839 hectares, vegetables on 1,919 hectares, Buna Aman on 4,225 hectares and other crops on 255 hectares of land.
Officials of the DAE have started suggesting the affected farmers of Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Bogra and Sirajganj for taking next steps to overcome the situation as floodwater was receding from the inundated areas.
According to the DAE sources, growing T-Aman fields on 590 hectares of land have been submerged in Rangpur, on 1,250 hectares in Lalmonirhat and on 1,420 hectares of land have been submerged in the flood-hit areas of Nilphamari districts.
In Gaibandha, growing T-Aman crop on 3,105 hectares of land, Aman seedbed on 124 hectares, Aus on 100 hectares and vegetables on 100 hectares of land have been remaining submerged under floodwater.
In Kurigram, growing T-Aman crop on 38,053 hectares of land, Aman seedbed on 566 hectares, Aus on 38 hectares and vegetables on 546 hectares have been submerged under floodwater in the affected areas of all nine upazilas.
In Bogra, growing T-Aman crop on 10,530 hectares of land, Aman seedbed on 140 hectares, Aus on 3,475 hectares and vegetables on 180 hectares of land have gone under floodwater in three upazilas.
Besides, floodwater has inundated growing T-Aman crop on 11,430 hectares of land, Aman seedbed on 143 hectares, Aus on 1,226 hectares, vegetables on 1,093 hectares and Buna Aman on 4,225 hectares of land in Sirajganj district.
Talking to BSS today, Rangpur Regional Additional Director of DAE Kamal Kumar Sarker said that assessment of the inundated crops has been continuing and the amount of crop damages and losses would be known after recession of floodwater.
The government will assist the affected farmers in recouping the crop losses through transplanting Aman seedling anew and cultivating early variety ‘mash kalai’, vegetables, maize and other crops on their lands after recession of floodwater, he added.