Most of vegetable growing areas inundated

FE Team | Published: July 30, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

Jasim Uddin Haroon
Most of the vegetable growing areas in the country have been inundated following heavy downpour over the past few days adversely affecting the production and causing economic losses to the farmers.
Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) sources said a total of 142,000 hectares of cultivable lands in the country had been inundated due to heavy rainfall.
"Though the fields have been inundated, the plants have not yet been totally damaged. If the flood water recedes quickly most of the vegetables will be saved," said one senior DAE official Sunday.
DAE officials said many varieties of vegetable plants can survive floods for about two weeks but after that those will be damaged.
Vegetables like green chilly, bringal, green papaya, cucumber and others went under water in 38 districts in the country, according to the DAE.
Currently, prices of vegetables are rising in the local markets due to scarce supply.
The severely inundated districts include Rangpur, Nilphamary, Kuirgram, Gaibandha, Faridpur, Rajbari, Madaribari, Shariatpour Bogra, Lalmonirhat, Dinajpur, Serajganj, Moulivibazar, Sylhet, Sunamganj and Commilla,
DAE sources said a total of 18,000 hectares of lands had been brought under different kinds of Kharif-2 vegetables cultivation across the country.
Kharif-2 starts usually from July and end mid-October.
DAE officials said harvests of Aus and Bona Aman, sugar cane, jute will not, however, be affected by the flood water.
Ropa Aman beds cover a total of 20,000 hectares of lands across the country and prolonged inundation will cause damage to the seedlings, sources said.
Meanwhile, the government has taken steps for rehabilitation programmes to compensate for the damaged beds of Ropa Aman.
The rehabilitation programme includes preparation of beds for late varieties of paddy. The late varieties include Nazir Shail, BR 22 and BR 23 whose output will not be affected due to late harvest, DAE sources said.
However, Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre said the country's major rivers including Padma, Meghna and Jamuna might cross the danger level by the next three days and submerge fresh cultivable lands.
Met office said there has been 18 per cent rise in rainfall in July due to strong monsoon.