Farmers putting in extra efforts to recoup flood-hit crops’ loss

Farmers and the agriculture extension department are putting in extra efforts to recoup the flood-hit Aman crops with the improvement of the flood situation in different parts of the country, officials said.
Nearly 1.4 million farmers have been affected across the country as latest floods had submerged about 0.17 million hectares of their cropped land, including Aman paddies, according to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE).
Farmers have already started replanting crops on their affected lands following the receding of floodwater, they mentioned.
"Farmers in different parts have gone for crop re-planting on their flood-hit lands while others are getting prepared for the task," a senior official at the DAE told the FE Sunday.
The official also said the extension department has already instructed its respective field officials to take necessary steps to facilitate the re-planting of crops in the flood-affected areas.
"Our relevant regional offices have already been asked to provide the affected farmers with all-out supports so that they are able to plant crops afresh on their damaged crop-lands," said one DAE official.
Responding to a query, the official said the department was yet to announce any 'rehabilitation programme' in the flood-affected areas.
He further said in fear of the possible adverse impacts of the floods, farmers in many areas had some preparations for the re-planting of crops, specially the transplanted-Aaman (T-Aman).
When asked, the official said although supply of Aman seedlings is more or less 'satisfactory' in many areas, the prices have pushed up by higher demand.
Citing field-level information, the DAE officials said farmers are now counting TK 5500 to 6500 for collecting seedlings for cropping one acre of land in comparison with the pre-flood prices of Tk 3,000 to Tk4,000.
According to the DAE agriculturists, farmers are able to go for late planting of T-Aman until the end of September. They, however, said such late cultivation might cause a yield loss of up to 30 per cent.
The DAE officials also ruled out any possibility of survival of the planted Aman crops on around 4,000 hectares in some areas, namely, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Bogra, Sirajgonj and Jamalpur.  
When asked, an official of the DAE's monitoring cell told the FE that if everything went smoothly, the farmers' ongoing efforts to re-plant their crops would help recoup their crop losses by up to 70 per cent.
According to the DAE's latest assessment, nearly 0.153 million hectares of Aman and Aus fields were submerged in floodwater. The breakdown: 0.12 million hectares of T-Aman, 0.011 million hectares of B-Aman and 0.022 million hectares of Aus lands.
Rangpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Bogra, Sirajganj, Bogra, Jamalpur, and Sunamganj districts were major affected districts, he said.
He said they had got down to assessing the total loss of Aman.
Another senior official at the DAE's monitoring unit predicted an estimated loss of Aman production at 0.125 million tonnes due to the floods.
He said nearly 60-80 percent standing plants in Aman and Aus fields in the flood-hit areas have been ruined in the flooding.
According to the monitoring unit, the government has already set the country's Aman output target at 13.4 million tonnes this cropping season from a total acreage of 5.64 million hectares.
The DAE has, so far, recorded a 95 percent achievement of the acreage target.
However, the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre under the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB)'s evening data showed that flood condition has been improving,
Waters from major rivers like Padma, Jamuna, Teesta, Meghna, Brahmaputra, and Surama were reducing.
All the rivers in Rangpur regions were flowing normally. Only the Teesta was flowing upper at Dalia point in Nilphamari, but below the danger level.
Five rivers in six districts flowed above the danger level on the day.