The recent floods in three phases damaged standing crops on 42,055 hectares of land causing production losses of 1,49,416 tonnes of crops worth Taka 499.16 crore this year in Rangpur agriculture region.

"The floods affected 4,49,285 farmers of all five districts in the region by damaging their growing crops," Acting Additional Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) for Rangpur region Md Moniruzzaman said.

The first phase of the deluge damaged standing crops on 8,612 hectares of land causing production losses of 32,664 tonnes of crops worth Taka 104.83 crore affecting 82,412 farmers of 18 upazilas in four districts except Nilphamari of the region.

The second phase of the flood totally damaged standing crops on 6,172 hectares of land causing production losses of 13,994 tonnes of crops worth Taka 69.45 crore affecting 89,827 farmers of 29 upazilas in the region.

"The third phase of the flood caused colossal damage to standing crops on 27,271 hectares of land causing production losses of 1,02,758 tonnes of crops worth Taka 324.88 crore and affecting 2,77,046 farmers of 35 upazilas in the region," he said.

The three phases of the floods damaged growing Aman rice seedbeds, transplanted Aman rice, Aush rice, vegetables, jute, maize, 'Till', 'Kawn' green chilli, 'Cheena', groundnut, 'Mashkalai' and some other crops.

The floods have damaged seedbeds of Aman rice on 1,195.87 hectares of land causing losses to seedlings worth Taka 15.95 crore affecting 38,705 farmers.

"Besides, the floods damaged the transplanted Aman rice crop on 24,958 hectares of land causing production losses of 70,544 tonnes of rice worth Taka 254 crore and affecting 2,30,431 farmers in the region," Moniruzzaman said.

The floods have caused production losses of 12,661 tonnes of Aush rice worth Taka 49.79 crore on 4,536 hectares of land affecting 39,120 farmers and 48,113 tonnes of vegetables worth Taka 101.74 crore on 2,877 hectares of land affecting 52,532 farmers.

Talking to BSS, farmers Saidar Rahman, Hashem Ali, Fazlul Haque and Nasir Uddin of Kurigram and Rahamat Ali and Obaidur Rahman of Lalmonirhat said floods damaged their growing Aman rice seedlings, vegetables and other crops.

The government through the DAE already distributed Aman rice seedbeds prepared on 221 acres of land in Kurigram, Gaibandha, Rangpur, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari among flood-hit farmers to assist them in recouping crop losses in Rangpur agriculture region.