The country's expected rice production has become difficult as cyclone 'Midhili' has devastated mature Aman plants along with winter crops on several thousand hectares of land in vast areas of the coastal regions in the last two days, causing enormous losses for the farmers.
Farmers in Chattogram, Khulna, Kushtia, Faridpur, Jashore, Barishal, Cumilla, Noakhali regions have fallen into a deep crisis as the tropical cyclone hit Aman paddy on above 0.3 million hectares of land, which was set to be harvested within a couple of weeks.
Besides, vegetables, mustard oil, khesari, Boro seedbeds, betel leaves and other seasonal crops on 0.1 million hectares of land were affected by the storm that made a landfall in coast in the early hours of Saturday, according to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) regional offices.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) said Chandpur witnessed 219 mm rainfall on Friday followed by Bhola 190 mm, Barishal 185 mm, Patuakhali 148 mm, Cumilla 112, Chattogram 37 mm during the period.
Talking to the FE over phone, Additional Director of the DAE, Barishal Region, Md Shawkat Osman, said a total of 0.7 million hectares of land were brought under Aman farming this year.
He said only 6.0 per cent of harvest could be completed before the storm that put impact on above 0.146 million hectares.
"This is the primary report," he said, adding the real loss would be much lesser which could be delivered within a few days.
Mohammad Nasir Uddin, additional director of the DAE, Chattogram region said 41,000 hectares of Aman crop out of 0.45 million have severely been affected by heavy wind and rains.
He also said the storm devastated khesari pulses as above 52 per cent or 13,000 hectares of such crops' land were affected by the storm.
A total of 62,317 hectares of cropland have been affected by the cyclone in the region.
He said 15 per cent of rice harvest could be completed in the region so far.
Our Cox Bazar correspondent said Maheshkhali and Chakaria upazilas of the district witnessed massive damages.
DAE additional director Khulna region Mohon Kumar Ghosh said paddy fields on above 17,839 hectares of land have been damaged by heavy wind and rain against 0.167 million hectares of standing crops.
He said half of the winter vegetable crops has witnessed partial to severe damage.
Farm economist Prof Golam Hafeez Kennedy said loss of 3.0 to 4.0 per cent of rice could affect the overall market as output growth is hardly 1.0-1.5 per cent now-a-days.
He urged the agriculture ministry to deliver authentic data on the losses due to the cyclone immediately which could help policymakers to take timely market policies.
And affected farmers should be compensated so that they could remain in farming in next seasons, he said.
According to the DAE, a total of 5.7 million hectares of land came under Aman farming this year and it has targeted to produce 15 million tonnes of rice.
A 16 per cent harvest was completed until November 16.
Meanwhile, rice market showed an uptrend as prices of the coarse and medium rice varieties increased by Tk 4.0-5.0 a kg in the market in last three weeks. The coarse varieties were selling at Tk 50-54 and the medium ones at Tk 62-66 a kg in the groceries.
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