NILPHAMARI: With incessant rains lashing the district for the past few days, the half-ripen Boro paddy has been damaged incurring huge loss to the farmers.
Many acres of half-ripen Boro paddy is being damages by waterlogged for heavy rains caused by cyclone Asani in Domar, Dimla, Jaldhaka, Kishoreganj, Saidpur and Sadar upazila of Nilphamari district.
During visited to Domar, Dimla, Jaldhaka, Kishoreganj, Saidpur and Sadar upazila of the district, the correspondent has found, many acres of half-ripen Boro paddy and maize is being damages widely by waterlogged. On the other hand, farmers could not harvest these crops due to labour crisis.
Farmer Tahidul Islam, son of late Taiyab Ali of Goyabari village under Dimla upazila of the district said, “I have cultivated of Boro paddy on two acres of land by taking a loan from local NGO in this season. The production has also well. I have decided to harvest it within a couple of days, but I could not harvest the paddy till now for a lack of labourers.
Another farmer Abdul Quddus, son of late Kalu Mamud of the village said, “I have cultivated of Boro on one acre of land and two acres of maize in this current season, but all of crops are being damages by the waterlogged. I can’t harvest it in time due to a lot of crisis of the labourers”.
A day labour from Kalikapur village in Kishoreganj upazila of the district said, “Basically, the workers are harvesting paddy at Tk. 2,400-2,500 per bigha, but most of the paddy fields have been waterlogged by heavy rainfall on last few days. It is becoming difficult to work in these paddy fields. So the workers are taking Tk. 3,000-3,500 per bigha.
“A lot of labour crisis is going on in peak hour in Nilphamari district, because labourers are goes to different district for harvesting paddy”, he added.
However, farmers of the district are cannot happy with good market price of maize in this season due to they have unable to harvest their crops in time caused by the labor crisis in peak hour. Even many farmers of the district have falling frustrated day by day with the harvest maize and Boro paddy.