Natore flood-hit farmers look for alternative crops

NAOGAON, Oct 27: The flood-hit farmers in Natore district are looking for alternative crops to be cultivated thisyear in order to recoup their losses.
Sources at the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) said Aus paddy on around 571 hectares of land in Natoresadar, Singra, Lalpur and Naldangaupazilas were damaged by the floodwater during the first phase of flood in July and August this year. Later, the farmers cultivated Aman paddy on those land. But the paddy was submerged by water during the second phase of flood that hit the district in first week of this month.
This time, over 3,470 hectares of Aman farmland were damaged causing a huge loss to those farmers, the sources added.
One Mokhlesur Rahman of Shalmara village under Singraupazila said his 2.65 acres of Aman farmland were damaged by floodwater.
"I don't know what to cultivate next on my land which may recover the loss. I am very concerned about my family's financial condition'', he added.
Farmers further said they are witnessing more pest attack on the survived Aman land after the floodwater removed.
"We are spraying pesticide constantly to keep the paddy plants alive till the harvesting period'', they added.
Deputy director of Natore DAE Subrata Kumar Sarkar stated farmers have been advised to cultivate short duration mustard variety on the low land so that they can farm Boro paddy too on the same land.

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