Street children share blankets on a rickshaw van to ward off the biting cold. The photograph was taken from Dhaka University campus in the city on Thursday. — FE photo by Shafiqul Alam Cultivation of potato and rice has been severely affected by the ongoing cold-wave, which has been sweeping across the country for the last two weeks, raising woes of the peasants.
Cold, fog and lack of sunshine have been causing outbreak of fungal disease - late blight - and subsequent production loss of potato in many areas, farmers and experts said.
Meanwhile, fog has also been affecting seedbeds of Boro farmers, which might cause delay in cultivation of the crop, resulting in production loss, they also said.
The country witnessed the lowest-ever temperature of 2.6 degree Celsius at Tetulia in Panchagarh on Tuesday.
The temperature in the country was 6.0 (Jessore) to 12 (Cox's Bazar) degree Celsius on Thursday.
The Met Office in its monthly weather outlook said two or three medium to severe cold-waves might hit the country in the current month. In a 72-hour forecast on Thursday it said a mild to moderate cold-wave is sweeping over Rangpur, Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal, Dhaka, Mymensingh, Sylhet and Chittagong divisions that may continue further.
Moderate to thick fog may occur at places over the country from midnight to morning, and it may continue till noon over north-western part of the country, according to Met Office.
Night temperature may rise slightly and day temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country, it added.
Md Julfikar Ali, a farmer at Kamarpukur under Saidpur in Nilphamari, told the FE over cell-phone that he cultivated potato on his three bighas of land a month back.
The fog and sunless weather have caused blight disease to 20-25 per cent of his crop, he said. "I and my fellow farmers have used fungicide, but got no result. Our production might witness a severe decline," he added.
Md Lutful Hoque, another farmer of Pakerhaat in Dinajpur, told the FE that his seedbed has been severely affected by the ongoing foggy and cold weather. He said: "I will have to buy seedlings from the market, which might raise production cost, while delay in cultivation could reduce my production."
According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), the country produced the highest-ever 10.04 million tonnes of potato last financial year (FY), and the target is to get 10.0 million tonnes in the current FY from 0.48 million hectares of land.
DAE Director General (DG) Md Abdul Aziz said DAE officials have been working to help the farmers during the period. The farmers have been instructed to use polyethylene sheds from midnight to morning in their potato fields. Besides, the farmers, who are yet to cultivate potato, have been told to sow it after two weeks.
Meanwhile, after witnessing a decline in production in last Boro and Aman seasons, the government has been highly focusing on the current Boro season to overcome the loss and make rice cheaper to people, the DAE DG also said. The government has targeted to produce 19.0 million tonnes of rice in this Boro season from 4.8 million hectares of land.
He further said the persisting cold-wave and heavy fog have been hampering Boro cultivation in many places, especially in the northern and north-western districts by destroying seedbeds. "But there is nothing to worry about, as we have two more months to plant Boro seedlings. DAE will also provide seedlings, if necessary," he added.
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