Desk Report: Farmers in Gaibandha could not plant Aman seedlings due to scanty rain in July while farmers in Lalmonirhat are not preparing their lands for Aman cultivation for lack of rain.
The rain was too scanty to wet the fields last week, so farmers were unable to transplant Aman seedlings in Gaibandha. Sundarganj Upazila Agriculture Officer (UAO) Rashedul Islam said it needs at least 1,200 millimetres of rain over three months in the Aman season to get normal yield. Total rain was recorded at 141mm in July while it was 223 mm last year.
A few farmers planted seedlings using irrigation pump, the fields went dry again quickly as there was no rain in the areas. Sundarganj is the worst drought-hit area in the district as there has not been heavy rain there for around 50 days, although the rainy season is nearing end. “I have never seen such a drought in rainy season like this year. The adverse weather is badly affecting Aman cultivation,” said elderly farmer Mozaher Ali. Farmer Sayed Ali said Aman is not like Boro which is dependent on irrigation water while Aman needs adequate rain. Rashedul said there are around 10 days of peak period for Aman farming. So they have advised the farmers to transplant seedlings and irrigate the lands from the available sources, he added. Directorate of Agriculture Extension District Training Officer Shawkat Osman said the Aman cultivation target in the district was fixed at 1,17,435 hectares of land this year, but due to scanty rain only 6,500 hectares have been brought under cultivation till now.
He said they need to find an alternative arrangement for Aman cultivation.
Most farmers in Lalmonirhat are not preparing their lands for Aman for lack of sufficient rain. Many have started farming Aman by using irrigation water. July is the peak time for farming Aman, but cultivation is getting delayed due to lack of rain.
“We have been facing crisis of water due to less rain, so we have to spend more on irrigation water,” said Habibur Rahman, 65, a farmer in Aditmari upazila.
Farmer Saherul Islam, 58, in the upazila, said he could not prepare his 15 bighas of land for Aman farming for lack of rain. “If there is no rain in the next one week I will have to prepare my land by using irrigation water,” he added.
Lalmonirhat Department of Agriculture Extension Deputy Director Bidhubhushan Roy said there was 202mm of rain in July this year while it was 428mm in 2017.
Aman seedbeds have been prepared on 5,034 hectares of land for Aman farming on 84,845 hectares this year, while it was 84,710 hectares in 2017.
Bidubhushan said Aman was cultivated on only ten percent of targeted lands by using irrigation water while most farmers are waiting for rain. “Farmers will complete Aman farming on their lands by mid-August,” he said.
Farmer Dharani Chandra Barman, 75, in Sadar upazila, said Aman is their cash crop as it is dependent on rain and they get expected profit at less cost. “But less rain frustrates us as we have to undergo additional expenditure for irrigation water from underground,” he added.
“If I don’t get adequate rainwater in the next couple of weeks, I will not cultivate Aman,” said farmer Badiar Rahman, 56.
Senior Coordinator of Agriculture and Environment of RDRS Bangladesh Mamunur Rashid said less rain in July had a bad impact on agriculture as this is the peak time for farming Aman. “Irrigation water from underground does not produce as much crop as rainwater,” he said.
Our correspondents from Gaibandha and Lalmonirhat contributed to the report.