Jashore,
Nov 20 (UNB) - Jashore's Abhaynagar may fail to achieve the target of Aman
production this year as crops on 1, 826 hectares of lands have been damaged due
to waterlogging in Bhabadah Beel, leaving farmers worried.
Though the upazila
usually sees a bumper yield of transplanted Aman paddy every year, this year's
scenario is different.
According to the upazila
agriculture office, the target for Aman cultivation in eight unions and one
municipality this season was set at 7,550 hectares-1,790 hectares of hybrid
varieties, 5,825 hectares of high-yield varieties and 25 hectares of local
varieties.
But 7,640 hectares of
lands were brought under Aman cultivation, an increase by 90 hectares compared
to the target.
The farmers and
agriculture officials predict that the upazila will face a deficit of 9, 375
metric tonnes out of targeted 38020 metric tonnes this year.
Last year, the Ropa Aman
paddy was cultivated on 7, 550 hectares of land while this number stood at 5,
814 hectares, a decrease by 1, 736 hectares this year.
All the Ropa Aman
planted on 835 hectares of lands in Sundoli union were damaged.
Three hundred and ten
hectares of lands out of 850 hectares have been damaged in Nawabganj union, 533
hectares out of 1, 154 in Prembag union, 60 out of 1,011 hectares in Chalishia
union, 88 out of 605 hectares in Payra union.
The highest 1,392
hectares of Ropa Aman were cultivated in Sreedharpur union.
Besides, Bagutia,
Shubharara and Siddhipasha unions have cultivated the paddy on 1,305 460 and
140 hectares of land this year.
Ujjal Das, a farmer from
Sundoli's Arpara village, said he leased one acre of land in Shurirdanga Beel
for transplanted Aman. However, the entire crop has been damaged by
waterlogging.
Echoing Ujjal, another
farmer Rabiul Islam from Chalishia's Kota village, said he planted Aman on two
bighas in Chatra Beel, but all his crops have been destroyed. "We're
living in despair, with waterlogged yards and no yield. We need government
compensation to survive," he said.
Abhaynagar Upazila
Agriculture Officer Lovely Khatun blamed the waterlogging for the possible
shortfall of the Aman paddy this year.
"The government is
working with utmost sincerity to resolve the waterlogging issue permanently.
For areas where water may recede within 20-25 days, short-duration, high-yield
BINA-14 paddy cultivation is being recommended. We're also focusing on boosting
vegetable production," she said.
Under the agricultural
rehabilitation programme, 475 farmers are receiving high-yield vegetable seeds
and a cash grant of Tk 1,000 each.
Efforts are also being
made to prioritise boro paddy cultivation for the upcoming season, she added.
End/UNB/Corr/SU/SAM/110
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