Sylhet Correspondent :
Over 0.3 million T-Aman farmers are in much trouble in Sylhet, Moulvibazar and Sunamganj district as they have to prepare their lands again after the recent floods had damaged just-planted crop fields.
Although the flood water started receding from many cropfields during the last few days, the farmers cannot get ready for second time transplantation due to shortage of seedlings while some lands had been covered by silts. Most of the farmers had also lost their Boro paddy in the devastating floods.
A farmer of village Turukbag of Golapganj upazila said, “Just weeks ago we had transplanted Aman, but the flood waters inundated those for days damaging the whole crop. Although there is time for transplanting Aman paddy again, it is troublesome to prepare the same land. “But even then we have to make seedbed first then, after days transplantation is to be done in weeks. Shortage of seedlings is also a problem”, he added.
A farmer of village Mongalkata in Sunamganj said none of the farmers could save his seedbed. Now it would be troublesome to procure seedlings or seed first.
The BADC also has no stock of seeds by now, an official informed.
Deputy director of DAE Sunamganj Md. Zahedul Haque said about 27,000 farmers had lost their Aman fields due to the recent floods. Out of 27,300 hectares cultivated Aman lands, over 9000 hectares had gone damaged. However, the district’s target is set at 61,694 hectares this season. Now the farmers would have to arrange seedbeds on the dried-up plots first. They have to depend on the poor stock of local varieties, he added.
Deputy Director at the Sylhet divisional office DAE, Dr Mamun Ur Rashid told this correspondent yet there are scopes to replant the Aman plants after the flood water recedes. However, the farmers would have to bear additional cost for the second time plantation on the same plots. They would have to arrange seeds and seedlings from own resources or collect those from neighbouring areas, the official added.
Under the revised programme for T-Aman farming, 137,700 hectares are to be in Sylhet, 99,000 hectares in Moulvibazar, 73,170 hectares in Habiganj and 61,694 hectares of Sunamganj, Dr Mamun said and added, the farming can be done till the end of the month of Bhadro.
Meanwhile, harvest of Aus paddy has been going on in full swing in Sylhet division. So far crops on a total of 76 per cent had been harvested, official sources informed on Monday afternoon.
Although the recent floods had damaged Aus paddy on about 5,000 hectares in Sylhet division, the farmers are getting a good harvest this time, the official added.
The DAE officials also said adding, so far 48,478 hectares were harvested in Sylhet, 35,628 hectares in Moulvibazar, 31,585 hectares in Habiganj and 11,338 hecatres in the district of Sunamganj. However in some areas it would for about two weeks.
Although the Aus farming in the region was raised this season it remained a little behind the revised target, set by the DAE, sources informed.
Deputy Director of the DAE, Sylhet Divisional office Dr. Mamun Ur Rashid said, “We had revised the division’s target from 133,028 hectares to 176,919 hectares for the season in a bid to recoup the loss of Boro paddy due the repeated and early floods this year”.
Much of the target was achieved with the total cultivated area stood at 170, 782 hectares in place of the last year’s 134,024 hectares of land in 4 districts of the division.
This year 28,800 poor and marginal farmers against the last year’s 25,700 in 28 upazilas of four districts were given incentives. Each of the farmers got the assistance for one bigha land. It helped farming on 28,800 bighas of land. Each of the farmers was given seeds and fertilizers free of cost. The incentive programme cost stood at Tk 35.9 million.
But, about 5,000 hectares were badly affected by the floods in Sylhet, Moulvibazar and Sunamganj districts. The damage had been estimated worth about Tk 366 million.
Meanwhile, the harvest would be a better one than the last year, the official noted. So far on average 2.5 tonnes of rice had been produced in one hectare land, Mr Rashid added.
Over 0.3 million T-Aman farmers are in much trouble in Sylhet, Moulvibazar and Sunamganj district as they have to prepare their lands again after the recent floods had damaged just-planted crop fields.
Although the flood water started receding from many cropfields during the last few days, the farmers cannot get ready for second time transplantation due to shortage of seedlings while some lands had been covered by silts. Most of the farmers had also lost their Boro paddy in the devastating floods.
A farmer of village Turukbag of Golapganj upazila said, “Just weeks ago we had transplanted Aman, but the flood waters inundated those for days damaging the whole crop. Although there is time for transplanting Aman paddy again, it is troublesome to prepare the same land. “But even then we have to make seedbed first then, after days transplantation is to be done in weeks. Shortage of seedlings is also a problem”, he added.
A farmer of village Mongalkata in Sunamganj said none of the farmers could save his seedbed. Now it would be troublesome to procure seedlings or seed first.
The BADC also has no stock of seeds by now, an official informed.
Deputy director of DAE Sunamganj Md. Zahedul Haque said about 27,000 farmers had lost their Aman fields due to the recent floods. Out of 27,300 hectares cultivated Aman lands, over 9000 hectares had gone damaged. However, the district’s target is set at 61,694 hectares this season. Now the farmers would have to arrange seedbeds on the dried-up plots first. They have to depend on the poor stock of local varieties, he added.
Deputy Director at the Sylhet divisional office DAE, Dr Mamun Ur Rashid told this correspondent yet there are scopes to replant the Aman plants after the flood water recedes. However, the farmers would have to bear additional cost for the second time plantation on the same plots. They would have to arrange seeds and seedlings from own resources or collect those from neighbouring areas, the official added.
Under the revised programme for T-Aman farming, 137,700 hectares are to be in Sylhet, 99,000 hectares in Moulvibazar, 73,170 hectares in Habiganj and 61,694 hectares of Sunamganj, Dr Mamun said and added, the farming can be done till the end of the month of Bhadro.
Meanwhile, harvest of Aus paddy has been going on in full swing in Sylhet division. So far crops on a total of 76 per cent had been harvested, official sources informed on Monday afternoon.
Although the recent floods had damaged Aus paddy on about 5,000 hectares in Sylhet division, the farmers are getting a good harvest this time, the official added.
The DAE officials also said adding, so far 48,478 hectares were harvested in Sylhet, 35,628 hectares in Moulvibazar, 31,585 hectares in Habiganj and 11,338 hecatres in the district of Sunamganj. However in some areas it would for about two weeks.
Although the Aus farming in the region was raised this season it remained a little behind the revised target, set by the DAE, sources informed.
Deputy Director of the DAE, Sylhet Divisional office Dr. Mamun Ur Rashid said, “We had revised the division’s target from 133,028 hectares to 176,919 hectares for the season in a bid to recoup the loss of Boro paddy due the repeated and early floods this year”.
Much of the target was achieved with the total cultivated area stood at 170, 782 hectares in place of the last year’s 134,024 hectares of land in 4 districts of the division.
This year 28,800 poor and marginal farmers against the last year’s 25,700 in 28 upazilas of four districts were given incentives. Each of the farmers got the assistance for one bigha land. It helped farming on 28,800 bighas of land. Each of the farmers was given seeds and fertilizers free of cost. The incentive programme cost stood at Tk 35.9 million.
But, about 5,000 hectares were badly affected by the floods in Sylhet, Moulvibazar and Sunamganj districts. The damage had been estimated worth about Tk 366 million.
Meanwhile, the harvest would be a better one than the last year, the official noted. So far on average 2.5 tonnes of rice had been produced in one hectare land, Mr Rashid added.
