Receding waters expose extensive crop damage in B’baria haors

Water levels in several haors of Nasirnagar upazila in Brahmanbaria have started receding gradually due to favourable weather and the absence of heavy rainfall over the past few days, bringing partial relief to farmers. 
However, hundreds of acres of Boro paddy have already been damaged after remaining submerged for a prolonged period. According to the Agriculture Department, around 3,000 farmers have been affected by the flooding. 
With the return of sunshine, many farmers have begun harvesting and drying submerged paddy in an attempt to minimise losses. However, much of the crop has already deteriorated, while in many fields rice seedlings have started sprouting on the stalks.
Farmers said most farmers cultivated paddy using loans and borrowed money, but traders are offering only Tk500 to Tk600 per maund of paddy, deepening their financial distress.
Nasirnagar Upazila Agriculture Officer Md Imran Hossain said Boro cultivation was carried out on around 11,000 hectares of land in the upazila this season, and nearly 70% of the paddy had already been harvested before floodwaters entered the haors.
He said around 305 hectares of paddy land initially went underwater, with crop losses estimated at around Tk13 crore. Of the affected land, 20 hectares have since been harvested after water receded, but around 285 hectares of paddy fields have suffered significant damage. The agriculture officer added that affected farmers would receive assistance, including cash support and rice, as part of rehabilitation measures.