Cyclone threatens Chalanbeel farmers

Farmer Kazem Pramanik of Pabna's Chatmohar, who cultivated two bighas of Boro paddy last year, could not harvest most of the crops as they were damaged by cyclone Amphan and early floods. This year, he has grown paddy in three bighas but cyclone Yaas is threatening the harvest again.

Worried by the storm, the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has advised farmers to harvest all their paddy even if they are 80 percent mature.

Kazem can't harvest quickly as there is a shortage of labourers.

Like him, most farmers in Chalanbeel area, the biggest wetland of the country's northern region, are worried about harvesting their paddy before the storm hits.

"Most of the labourers of Chalanbeel region go to different districts during the peak of Boro harvesting period [May-June]. We can hardly get necessary labourers in the peak season. It causes trouble for harvesting paddy in Chalanbeel area," said Kazem.

Most paddy fields in Chalanbeel area look ready for harvesting, but farmers in many areas were yet to start harvesting due to shortages of labourers. Many farmers begin harvesting half ripe paddy to save their paddy from the natural disaster.

"I have cultivated 3.5 bighas of paddy in Chalanbeel. Of them, two bighas are in the low-laying areas. Paddy from high areas has already been harvested and I'll need two weeks to reap paddy from the low-laying areas. As cyclone is nearing, I'm harvesting half ripe paddy to save it from the disaster," said Mojibar Rahman, of Jaborkhal village in Chatmohar upazila.

Talking to The Daily Star, Masum Billah, Chatmohar upazila agricultural officer, said at least 70-80 percent paddy in Chalanbeel has already been harvested. Farmers are using modern technology due to lack of labourers.

"If farmers are interested, we are ready to help them in harvesting paddy by combine harvester in huge areas," he said.

Chalanbeel farmers, however, prefer harvesting crop manually by labourers to using machines as most of the farmers cultivate small piece of land, said Nobir Uddin, a marginal farmer in Chalanbeel.

A total of 1.01 lakh hectares have been brought under Boro cultivation in eight upazilas of three districts in Chalanbeel which goes through Chatmohar, Vangura and Faridpur upazilas of Pabna, Singra, Gurudashpur and Boraigram upazilas of Natore and Tarash and Raiganj upazilas of Sirajganj, say offices of DAE in the upazilas, expecting production of 4.73 lakh tonnes paddy.

Farmers of different areas of Chalanbeel go for late cultivation of Boro paddy, as a second crop of the season, so harvesting is late in many areas.

Talking to this paper, Harunur Rashid, Gurudashpur upazila agricultural officer, said most farmers in the upazila cultivate paddy after harvesting mustard, so they have to go for late paddy harvesting.

Md Rokonuzzaman, Pabna's Faridpur upazila agricultural officer, however, said at least 45 percent paddy has been reaped in the upazila as most of the farmers went for late farming. They are now worried about saving their crop from disaster, he added.

There is a possibility of heavy rainfall on May 25-27 in 30 districts, especially in Khulna, Bagerhat, Barishal and Rajshahi divisions, the DAE said in an advisory.

In such a situation, farmers have been advised to follow some agro-climatic advice to protect standing crops from cyclone damage alongside instruction of harvesting the paddy that has matured up to 80 percent.

According to an estimate of the DAE, farmers cultivated paddy on 48.83 lakh hectares this season and harvested 90 percent of the crop.

Crop collection in the major belts of Boro paddy, including haor areas, has already been completed. The harvesting of late varieties recently began in some areas, including Rajshahi and Rangpur region and Manikganj district, where there will be no major impact of the cyclone, according to DAE.

Boro paddy accounts for nearly 55 percent of annual rice production.