Fresh flood dashes hope for Aman replantation in N districts

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S M Jahangir back from Rangpur
Farmers in the country's northern districts are set to lose their 'Aman' paddy this season due to fresh floods despite making extra efforts to cultivate the crop for the second time to recoup the damage suffered during the first spell of flooding.
Expressing their frustration, the farmers said they are now eying 'Rabi' crops on the flood-hit land as they have little scope to re-plant the Aman paddy.
The fresh floods have entirely damaged the crop of Meher Uddin, who planted Aman on two acres of land nearly 20 days back when waters from earlier floods receded.
"I had spent more than Tk 8000 for cultivating BR-11 variety of Aman crop on my two acres of land. The latest floodwater has submerged my crops," Meher said.
He maintained: "I had expected to harvest about 100 mounds of Aman paddy from the land."
There is hardly any possibility of survival of the affected plants as the floodwater continued to enter the areas, he said.
"Now, I have to wait until the month of 'Paush' (December) for cultivation of Boro crop." he said.
Before that time, he will try to grow some suitable varieties of 'Rabi' crops on the land after the floodwater recedes further.
Momammad Amin of the same village said the floodwater had damaged his crops on more than 2.5 acres of land.
The cultivation of Aman crops on an acre of land costs more than Tk 3000, Amin said.
Like Meher and Amin, hundreds of farmers in the northern districts have become helpless, as the fresh floods have totally damaged their re-planted Aman crops.
Abdul Mazid, a farmer at Golappur area under Sirajgonj district, told the FE that the latest flood had entirely damaged his Aman crops.
"I had re-planted 'Paijam' variety of Aman seedlings on two bighas of land just about two weeks ago when the first phase of the floods was over… But, I never thought my efforts to recoup the previous losses would be wiped out." Mazid said.
Like the farmers, the traders of Aman seedlings had to suffer for business losses due to the second spell of flooding.
A good number of traders at the Salanga seedlings market under Sirajgonj district were seen sitting idle Thursday.
"I brought Tk 8000 worth of different varieties of Aman seedling to that temporary market nearly one week back for selling, but all these still remained unsold," said one Md. Yakub Ali.
He further said a significant portion of my seedlings has already been damaged while the fate of the remaining stock is uncertain.
Yakub, however, said more than 10 trucks of Aman seedlings were transacted in the market just one week ago, but now the sales have become almost nil.
"Now, I am ready to sell the seedlings below he purchasing rates to recover a portion of my investment," he noted.
Sources, however, said planted Aman crops on nearly 100,000 hectares of land could be affected due to the second phase of flash floods that hit many districts, including Sirajgonj, Rangpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Bogra, Lalmonirhat etc.
According to official statistics, the first phase of floods that hit nearly 40 districts of the country damaged cultivable crops like Aman, 'Aus', seedlings, jute and vegetables on nearly 650,000 hectares of land.
Although the government launched a rehabilitation programme for the flood-hit farmers, many farmers at the northern region claimed that they could not get such support, especially in the form of seedlings, fertilisers and agri-credit.