Around 50,000 farmers at risk of missing Boro season

Ullas Biswas is unsure if he will be able to cultivate Boro paddy on his five bighas of land in Khulna's Dumuria upazila this season as his entire land is waterlogged.

The farmer from the Beel Dakatia area of Rangpur village harvested 105 maunds of Boro paddy in the 2022 season. The following year, he could only grow 30 maunds on one and a half bighas, with the rest of the land waterlogged.

"Arable land in parts of Dumuria upazila is now under waist-deep water. These areas include Rangpur, Ruparampur, Shalua, Mixi Mill, and Rudaghora. We have no idea when the water will recede," Ullas told The Daily Star on November 5.

Farmers will miss the opportunity to farm Boro paddy this season if the water does not drain away within the next four weeks.

At least 50,000 farmers in 10 upazilas of Khulna, Jashore and Satkhira districts have been facing uncertainty over growing Boro crop this season as about 96,000 hectares of farmland remain waterlogged, according to officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).

Two-thirds of the 96,000 hectares are used for Boro farming, while the rest are for fish farming. These areas were submerged in late August due to floods triggered by heavy rains.

Flooding also destroyed Ullas's standing vegetable crops and fish enclosures, causing losses of about Tk 35,000. He had expected to recover the losses through Boro farming, but the current situation has made that uncertain.

"Boro paddy is now selling for Tk 1,100 to Tk 1,400 per maund. If I can grow paddy on the entire five bighas, I could earn at least Tk 1 lakh,'' he said.

Around 4,500 farmers in Rangpur village have been affected by waterlogging.

Subhash Sarkar, another local grower, said he too will not be able to farm Boro paddy this year if the water does not recede within the next two weeks.

The floodwaters have submerged around 20,000 hectares of agricultural land in Khulna's Dumuria and Phultala upazilas, with 11,000 hectares in Dumuria alone, according to DAE data.

Md Inshad Ibne Amin, Dumuria upazila agriculture officer, said Boro season usually starts between the last week of November and the second week of December.

"We need to drain the water from the arable land soon to make it cultivable."

At least 60 beels (water bodies) across 10 upazilas in Khulna, Jashore, and Satkhira remain submerged, as water cannot recede due to heavy siltation in local rivers like the Mukteshwari, Teka, Sri, Hori, Soilmari, and Salta. The region experienced heavy flooding in late August, affecting around 14 lakh people.

According to the DAE, around 35,000 farmers in Jashore's Bhabodah area farm Boro crop on about 25,000 hectares.

Shekhar Chandra Roy, chairman of Kultia Union Parishad in Manirampur, expressed concerns about Boro farming in 17 villages of his union as the floodwaters have yet to recede.

Motiar Rahman, a UP member of Tetulia Union Parishad under Satkhira's Tala upazila, said he relies on Boro farming on his four and a half bighas of land in Shirasuni village to support his seven-member family. For the rest of the year, the land is used for fish farming.

"Normally, after saving enough rice for my family, I sell 20-25 maunds of paddy to help cover our expenses. But next year, I may have to buy rice for the whole year," he said.

Pravash Biswas, a farmer from Sujatpur village in Jashore's Manirampur upazila, said his two bighas of land are currently flooded.

"Last year, I harvested about seven maunds of Boro paddy, which helped me support my four-member family partially.

"If we can't grow rice this year, we will face a tough time getting enough food," he added.

ABM Shafiqul Islam, president of the Water Committee in Khulna, said all the 11 rivers in Dumuria upazila are almost dead due to the accumulation of silt.

"Moreover, many sluice gates on the embankments are broken, preventing water from draining out."

He warned that if the waterlogging continues in Khulna division's three districts, Boro farming will be impossible this season.

Md Rafiqul Islam, additional director of the DAE in Khulna, said efforts were underway to address the waterlogging problem.

"Twenty-five water pumps of BADC are pumping floodwater into rivers to ease waterlogging. Fifteen more water pumps will be installed soon to expedite the work. Freeing the area from waterlogging is crucial," he said.

Samoren Biswas, assistant deputy director (crop) of the DAE in Jashore, said they expanded Boro farming in the Bhabadah area over the last few years.

"The situation this year is worse, with all the arable land under water. Floodwaters have also inundated many residential areas.

"If the water recedes within the next three weeks, growers will be able to farm Boro paddy. Otherwise, around 28,000 hectares in Jashore may remain uncultivated this season," he told The Daily Star.