Haor farmers fear early flooding of Boro crop, authorities urge early harvest

Infographics: TBS

Highlights

• Heavy rain expected from 26 April
• Risk of waterlogging in low-lying haor
• Only 18% paddy harvested so far
• Most crops to mature within a week
• 80% ripe fields advised for immediate harvest
• Harvesters unable to operate in waterlogged fields
• Diesel shortage disrupts harvesting operations

Rising river levels in Sylhet, driven by rainfall in the northeast and upstream India, and a forecast of heavy rain next week have raised fresh concerns among haor farmers over Boro paddy.

According to the Bangladesh Water Development Board, water levels in the Surma-Kushiyara, Dhanu-Baulai and Bhugai-Kangsha river systems have been increasing over the past few days and may continue to rise over the next week.

Officials said the rise is driven by increased rainfall in upstream areas, particularly in Meghalaya and Assam, and warned that water levels may increase more rapidly in the coming days. They also cautioned that local rainfall could cause waterlogging in low-lying haor areas.

In this situation, BWDB and agriculture officials have urged farmers to harvest paddy immediately if at least 80% of the crop has ripened to protect Boro production.

Sunamganj BWDB Executive Engineer Mamun Howlader said river levels have started rising in the district and may increase rapidly if rainfall intensifies in upstream hilly areas.

"Officials have been instructed to support farmers with labour and harvesting machines," he said.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) said heavy rainfall is expected in Sylhet region districts for about a week from 26 April, which may keep river levels rising and increase the risk of water entering haor areas, further intensifying pressure on farmers to harvest their crops.

Meteorologist Md Bazlur Rashid told TBS that rainfall is already occurring in parts of the country and may intensify in Sylhet and adjoining upstream regions, including Meghalaya.

A farmer in Khaliajuri upazila of Netrokona said continuous rainfall since Chaitra has already flooded fields, which is unusual for this time of year.

"Now the water level of the Dhanu river is rising. Only about 20-25% of paddy has been harvested in our area. Harvesters are not entering fields due to standing water. If heavy rain continues next week, farmers will face significant losses," said Dipro Chowdhury.

Most of Bangladesh's rice is produced during the Boro season, with about one-fifth coming from seven haor districts.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Boro has been cultivated on 9.63 lakh hectares in Sunamganj, Sylhet, Habiganj, Moulvibazar, Netrokona, Kishoreganj and Brahmanbaria this season. Of this, 4.55 lakh hectares are in haor areas and 5.08 lakh hectares outside them.

So far, farmers have harvested only 18% of the crop, while about 11% has matured. Another 26% remains at the soft dough stage and 44% at the hard dough stage. Agriculture officials expect most of the crop to mature within a week.

Bangladesh Rice Research Institute Principal Scientific Officer Dr Niaz Md Farhat Rahman told TBS that paddy at the hard dough stage usually takes four to five days to mature.

"Farmers should harvest immediately once 80% of the crop ripens without waiting," he said.

He advised farmers to create drainage channels to remove excess water and tie plants together to reduce the risk of lodging during strong winds in fields where more than 60% has matured.

Sunamganj Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension Mohammad Omar Faruk said the district has 137 haors and Boro has been cultivated on 2,23,511 hectares of land this season.

Around 28,000 hectares have been harvested so far, while the rest will take more time, he added.

Labour and diesel shortages add pressure

Farmers said labour shortages and limited diesel supply are slowing harvesting efforts, even as flood risks grow.

They said operating a harvester requires about 100-120 litres of diesel per day, while power threshers need around 12-15 litres. However, sufficient fuel is not always available.

Some farmers have submitted written requests to local agriculture offices and upazila administrations seeking increased diesel supply.

A farmer from Pakhi Mara haor in Shantiganj upazila of Sunamganj said rising fuel prices and labour shortages are making it difficult to harvest quickly despite the flood risk.

Another farmer and harvester owner, Abdul Qadir, said one of his machines remains idle as farmers are reluctant to rent it due to fuel costs.

Although local agriculture offices said there is no diesel shortage, farmers reported otherwise.

Field visits showed that harvesters are not operating fully due to diesel shortages, with operators often returning without fuel.

A harvester owner in Tahirpur said they must obtain tokens from agriculture offices to buy diesel, which involves lengthy procedures. Even after securing a token, fuel is sometimes unavailable at dealer points.

Additional Director of the Sylhet regional office of the Department of Agricultural Extension Dr Md Mosharaf Hossain said there is no overall diesel shortage, but there are problems in supply distribution.

"Diesel is now being provided through a rationing system, and a request has been made for additional allocation for haor areas, although approval has not yet been received," he said.

Agriculture Minister Mohammed Amin Ur Rashid said all necessary steps have been taken to ensure timely harvesting in haor regions.

He instructed local authorities to mobilise harvesters and labour from nearby areas where needed and to involve local representatives and volunteers to prevent crop losses.

"All paddy must be harvested before water enters the haor," he said, adding that every effort must be made to ensure that no crops are damaged.