Aman paddy, potato crops battered by hailstorm in Thakurgaon

A sudden hailstorm has damaged ripe Aman paddy, early-season potatoes and other vegetables in several areas of Thakurgaon, leaving farmers facing potential financial losses. 
The storm has also damaged raw bricks at around 50 brick kilns in the district.
The hailstorm, accompanied by rain, hit parts of Sadar, Ranishankail, Baliadangi and Haripur upazilas on Wednesday evening. Futani Town area of Ratoor Union in Ranishankail was among the worst affected.
Locals said the hailstorm began after 6pm and lasted around 20 minutes, flattening ripe Aman paddy, uprooting potato plants and damaging other crops. Many raw bricks prepared at local kilns were also destroyed.
Ratan Roy, a farmer from Futani Town, said around one-fifth of his ripe paddy had fallen to the ground, while nearly half of the leaves on trees in the area had been knocked down.
Jahangir Alam, another farmer from Bharnia area, cultivated early-season potatoes on 12 bighas of land in Futani Town. He said most of the plants had fallen over and several young branches had broken in the hailstorm.
The 48-day-old crop was expected to be ready for harvest within another 15 to 20 days.
Meanwhile, owners of around 50 brick kilns in the district are also facing the prospect of substantial financial losses due to damage to their freshly made bricks.
Md Majedul Islam, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Thakurgaon, said "Field inspections are underway to assess the extent of the damage. Farmers are also being provided with necessary advice to minimise their losses," he said.