The recent floods have completely damaged standing crops on 1.05 lakh hectares of land causing losses of 3.75 lakh tonnes crop production worth Taka 967 crore in five districts under Rangpur Agriculture Region this season.
About 7.94 lakh farmers have been badly affected by the floods in two
phases in Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari along the Brahmaputra basin under the region this time.
The floods have completely damaged standing crops on 82,406 hectares of land worth over Taka 765 crore in the first phase and on 23,276 hectares of land worth over Taka 202 crore in the second phase.
According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources, the damaged crops included Transplanted Aman (T-Aman) worth Taka 902 crore on 1.02 lakh hectares of land and Aman seedbeds worth Taka 2.18 crore on 322 hectares of land.
Besides, the damaged crops included vegetables worth Taka 61.37 crore on 2,787 hectares, ginger worth Taka 28 lakh on five hectares and banana worth Taka 1.35 crore on 54 hectares of land.
The floods have damaged standing crops worth over Taka 143.56 crore on
14,891 hectares of land affecting over 1.26 lakh farmers in Rangpur and on 332 hectares of land worth Taka 2.32 crore affecting 4,299 farmers in Nilphamari districts.
The floods have damaged crops on 44,863 hectares of land worth Taka 410 crore affecting 3.27 lakh farmers in Kurigram and on 1,100 hectares of land worth Taka 8.87 crore affecting 8,340 farmers in Lalmonirhat districts.
Besides, the floods have damaged standing crops on 44,494 hectares of land worth Taka 402.44 crore affecting over 3.28 lakh farmers in Gaibandha district.
This time, the floods have caused production losses of over 3.38 lakh
tonnes T-Aman rice worth Taka 902 crore, 35,000 tonnes vegetables worth Taka 61.37 crore, 35 tonnes ginger worth Taka 28 lakh and 135 tonnes banana worth Taka 1.35 crore.
The DAE said the floods have caused colossal damages of 3.38 lakh tonnes rice production worth Taka 902 crore completely damaging T-Aman crops on 1.02 lakh hectares of land affecting 7.37 lakh T-Aman farmers in Rangpur Region.
The damaged land area of cultivated T-Aman crop constitutes 17.58 percent of total cultivated T-Aman land area of 5,82,967 hectares of land in the region.
Of them, the floods have damaged T-Aman crops on 13,832 heaters of land causing losses of 37,737 tonnes rice production worth Taka 120.76 crore affecting over 1.06 lakh farmers in Rangpur.
The floods have damaged standing T-Aman crops on 43,163 hectares of land causing losses of over 1.16 lakh tone rice production worth Taka 372.93 crore affecting over 3.07 lakh farmers in Gaibandha district.
In Kurigram, the recent floods have caused losses of over 1.80 lakh tonnes rice production worth Taka 397.02 crore damaging standing T-Aman crops on 44,085 hectares of land affecting over 3.11 lakh farmers.
The floods have damaged standing T-Aman crops on 1,100 hectares of land causing losses of 2,958 tone rice production worth Taka 8.87 crore affecting 8,340 farmers in Lalmonirhat district.
Besides, the recent floods have caused losses of 930 tonnes rice production worth Taka 2.32 crore damaging standing T-Aman crops on 332 hectares of land affecting 4,299 farmers in Nilphamari district.
Rangpur Regional Additional Director of the DAE Mohammad Mohsin said the DAE with other organisations have been distributing late variety Aman seedling among the affected farmers to assist them in recouping the huge crop looses.
The DAE, Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute and Agriculture Training Institutes have so far distributed T-Aman seedling prepared on 26.19 acres of land among 1,611 affected farmers.
Officials and experts of different agriculture related departments,
institutions and organisations have been suggesting the affected farmers for cultivating substitute crops on their totally and partially damaged croplands.
He also suggested the affected farmers for cultivating early variety ‘mash kalai’ and vegetables after recession of floodwaters and then mustard, vegetables, potato, wheat, maize and other crops on their lands.
