Heavy rain affects 28,610 hectares, raises concerns over Aman seedlings, veggie supply
Preliminary assessment may rise after floodwaters recede.
Heavy to very heavy rain, flash floods, flooding and waterlogging have affected 28,610 hectares of crops across 12 districts.
Preliminary data from the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) showed that Aush rice, Aman seedbeds and summer vegetables were the most affected.
The DAE assessment covered 5,34,570 hectares under the listed crops in the affected districts.
DAE officials said the figure was preliminary. The actual extent of the damage would become clearer after floodwater receded, while the affected area could increase if rain continued.
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Md Obaidur Rahman Mondal, director of the DAE's Field Services Wing said farmland in Chattogram, Rangamati, Khagrachhari, Bandarban and eight other districts had been affected by heavy rain.
"Continuous rain and standing water have affected Aush rice, Aman seedbeds, seasonal vegetables and betel leaf farms," he said.
He added that officials were continuing to collect field-level information to determine the full extent of the damage.
District-wise data showed that 3,495 hectares were affected in Rangamati, including Aush, summer vegetables, ginger, turmeric, Aman seedbeds and orchards.
In Khagrachhari, 1,031 hectares of Aush, summer vegetables, Aman seedbeds and orchards were affected.
In Bandarban, around 945 hectares under nine crop categories were affected, including Aman seedbeds, Aush, summer vegetables, orchards in the plains and hills, jhum Aush, ginger and turmeric.
Chattogram recorded 6,591 hectares of affected Aush, 565 hectares of Aman seedbeds and 4,167 hectares of summer vegetables.
Aush, Aman seedbeds, summer vegetables and betel leaf farms were affected in Cox's Bazar.
In Naogaon, 4,340 hectares of Aush were affected. Habiganj recorded 1,259 hectares of affected Aush, 150 hectares of Aman seedbeds and 233 hectares of vegetables.
Different areas under Aush, jute, chilli, banana, Aman seedbeds and summer vegetables were also affected in Jashore, Chuadanga, Meherpur, Sirajganj and Sunamganj.
Agriculture officials said Aush, summer vegetables and Aman seedbeds had so far faced the greatest impact.
If Aman seedlings are destroyed, farmers in many areas may have to prepare new seedbeds, delaying the cultivation schedule. Damage to vegetables still in the fields could also reduce supplies and raise prices, they said.
Meanwhile, the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) said yesterday (12 July) that the flood situation in the north-eastern region could worsen over the next 24 to 72 hours.
Water levels in the Khowai, Manu, Kushiyara and Surma rivers were rising rapidly. The Kushiyara was already flowing above the danger level at Markuli in Sunamganj and Fenchuganj in Sylhet.
Water in the Sari-Gowain, Someshwari, Jadukata and Bhogai-Kangsha rivers could also cross danger levels at several points.
This could inundate more low-lying farmland in Sylhet, Sunamganj, Habiganj and Moulvibazar, officials said.
Mohammad Nazmul Kabir, additional deputy director for crops at the DAE's Sunamganj office, said relatively low rainfall in Cherrapunji had so far prevented major flooding.
"However, the area remains highly vulnerable to flash floods," he said.
Vegetable importer Farhan Hossain said actual supplies often declined during disasters, while artificial shortages were also sometimes created to raise prices.
Transport disruption could quickly push up the prices of green chillies, potatoes and other essential vegetables, he said.
Faruk Ahmed, director of the research wing at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, said most summer crops had been harvested before the monsoon, reducing the risk of a major impact on overall food production.
"However, vegetables, green chillies and newly prepared Aman seedbeds still in the fields could affect the market in the short term," he said.
He added that farmers in waterlogged areas could use the pyramid method, under which crops are grown on raised, pyramid-shaped beds, to improve drainage and reduce the risk of root rot.
