Rains take heavy toll on vegetables
Tuesday, 12 October 2010
Last week`s downpour has damaged vegetables on 2,500 hectares in six upazilas of Narsingdi while rains coupled with onrush of hill water from India, engulfed 42 unions of Moulvibazar district, reports UNB.
According to the Met office, Narsingdi experienced 74.8 millimetre rainfall between Thursday and Friday. The post-monsoon torrent submerged almost all the vegetable fields in Shibpur, Raipur, Polash, Monohordi, Belabo and the Sadar upazilas.
Incessant rains with gusty wind have destroyed vegetation particularly winter vegetable saplings that were ready for transplanting at the seedbeds.
More than 70 per cent of croplands have been inundated by rain water, farmers of the affected unions told the news agency.
Vegetable growers of Birajnagar and Murgibeer village of Shibpur Upazila said they tried to save their saplings by covering the lands with polythene shades but the gusty wind blew away the polythenes.
Farmers Shamsul Haque of Kunderpara village of Shibpur and Ismail Mridha of Marjal village of Raipur Upazila said, they along with many other farmers of the six upazilas used to cultivate winter vegetables including potato, aubergine, tomato, cauliflower, bean, cabbage, green beans, raddish, spinach (pui and lal shak), pumpkin, etc. during this season.
These early-grown vegetables would fetch good returns for them as they sell at exorbitant prices in the markets. But the hope of earning a good profit by early harvesting winter vegetables has been nipped in the bud because of rains.
Farmer Ismail said all other growers who planted vegetables in their fields are now counting massive loss as the fields have been submerged damaging 50 per cent saplings.
According to the Met office, Narsingdi experienced 74.8 millimetre rainfall between Thursday and Friday. The post-monsoon torrent submerged almost all the vegetable fields in Shibpur, Raipur, Polash, Monohordi, Belabo and the Sadar upazilas.
Incessant rains with gusty wind have destroyed vegetation particularly winter vegetable saplings that were ready for transplanting at the seedbeds.
More than 70 per cent of croplands have been inundated by rain water, farmers of the affected unions told the news agency.
Vegetable growers of Birajnagar and Murgibeer village of Shibpur Upazila said they tried to save their saplings by covering the lands with polythene shades but the gusty wind blew away the polythenes.
Farmers Shamsul Haque of Kunderpara village of Shibpur and Ismail Mridha of Marjal village of Raipur Upazila said, they along with many other farmers of the six upazilas used to cultivate winter vegetables including potato, aubergine, tomato, cauliflower, bean, cabbage, green beans, raddish, spinach (pui and lal shak), pumpkin, etc. during this season.
These early-grown vegetables would fetch good returns for them as they sell at exorbitant prices in the markets. But the hope of earning a good profit by early harvesting winter vegetables has been nipped in the bud because of rains.
Farmer Ismail said all other growers who planted vegetables in their fields are now counting massive loss as the fields have been submerged damaging 50 per cent saplings.