Severe flash floods across Rangpur division since mid-June have dealt a blow to peanut cultivation in the region.

Peanut, or groundnut, is a vital cash crop for the marginal farmers in the division who cultivate it on the sandy shoal lands of Teesta river basin.

Torrential rainfall in the upstream in India caused the Teesta to swell, inundating vast stretches of croplands across five districts in the division -- Rangpur, Dinajpur, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension in Rangpur, 5,512 hectares of land  in the division have been brought under peanut cultivation.

At least 2,315 hectares of land have been affected by floods.

Peanuts cultivated on 315 hectares of land were completely damaged in the flood, said DAE sources.

This year, the production target for peanut was set at 12,600 tonnes.

Visiting the shoals of Gangachara, Pirgachha, and Kaunia upazilas of Rangpur district, this correspondent observed acres of sandy land used for peanut cultivation have become waterlogged following the flash floods.

Peanut is harvested around June. The flash floods inundated our croplands when we were gearing up for harvesting our produce. My crops were washed away right before my eyes. Foyzur Rahman, a farmer from Shibdeb Char under Pirgachha.

"Peanut is harvested around June. The flash floods inundated our croplands when we were gearing up for harvesting our produce. My crops were washed away right before my eyes," said Foyzur Rahman, a farmer from Shibdeb Char under Pirgachha.

"I had planted peanuts on three acres of land after borrowing money from a local lender. How am I going to pay my debts now?" he lamented.

Abed Ali, a farmer from Kaunia upazila, said, "Even if we managed to harvest some of our produce, we could not save those due to a lack of drying space after the floods."

Many other farmers echoed them, predicting that this year's production target is unlikely to be achieved due to the disaster.

Obaidur Rahman, deputy director of DAE in Rangpur region, said, "Peanut on 315 hectares of land has been damaged while over 2,300 hectares of land used in peanut cultivation have been affected due to floods."

He, however, expressed optimism that the overall production will not be affected much.