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Farmers of Bogura district have become worried due to a drought-like situation for lack of rains which is hampering timely Aman cultivation.
Local sources said due to the lack of water in different areas of the district, the farmers irrigated the seed beds with the help of machines, but most of the seed beds are drying up due to the intense heat of the past few days. Farmers said they are facing difficulties due to a shortage of rainwater.
Many farmers had to bear the additional cost of irrigation to grow Aman seedlings.
Now as the month of Srabon is almost at the second week, with no rain in sight, farmers are worried about their Aman harvest as well as the upcoming winter vegetable season. The inadequate rainfall is causing uncertainty about meeting this year’s Aman harvest target.
The scarcity of water has led to increased expenses for Aman farmers in the area, putting a strain on their finances.
Farmers in various areas across 12 upazilas of the district are usually busy planting Aman paddy during the Bengali month of Asadha-Shravan. However, this year, the delayed and inadequate rainfall has made it impossible for farmers to plant rice as usual. The fields remain dry and uncultivated, with herds of cows and goats grazing in the parched farmlands.
To combat the water shortage, some farmers have resorted to irrigating their land, but this comes at an additional cost. Those with deep tube wells have to pay Tk1, 000 per bigha for watering their land, while owners of shallow machines are spending Tk1, 500 for irrigation.
According to the office of Bogura Additional Director of the Agricultural Extension Department, this season's Aman cultivation target was set at 3 lakh 83 thousand 2 hundred hectares, a significant increase compared to the previous season's 82 thousand hectares.
Moniruzzaman Munir, a farmer of Dalgacha village in Nandigram upazila, expressed his worry as the planting time has already passed, but due to the water scarcity, he cannot prepare the land for Aman cultivation. The Aman rice seedlings are also getting older, adding to the urgency of the situation.
Raju Ahmed from Kalikapur village shared a similar predicament, stating that most farmers in the area are forced to use electric pumps and shallow machines for irrigation. The added cost of irrigation is putting a financial strain on the farmers.
Rezadul Haque Reza, a farmer from Jamir Baria area of Gabtali upazila, expressed concern over the lack of water, which has hindered Aman paddy cultivation in the region. Despite the ongoing drought, he remains hopeful that the Aman cultivation target can still be achieved if the water supply improves soon.
Nandigram Upazila Agriculture Officer Adnan Babu advised farmers to utilise irrigation techniques if the hot and dry weather persists.
As the monsoon season progresses, farmers in Bogura district remain hopeful for rainfall to revive their Aman cultivation and alleviate the current water crisis. The success of this year's Aman season will depend on the timely intervention of favourable weather conditions and efficient water management by the farmers, he also said.
Shafi Uddin Ahmed, deputy director of the Bogura additional director's office of the Directorate of Agriculture said despite the drought, Aman paddy cultivation is ongoing in more than half of the land, and there is still time to salvage the crop.
