RAJSHAHI, July 24: Aman cultivation in Barind tract is facing drought.
Due to lack of rain for 10 consecutive days and severe heat, the Aman paddy fields are being damaged.
Meanwhile, farmers are in trouble for spending extra money behind irrigation with deep tube-wells. As they did not get fair price of Boro paddy, they started Aman farming, but due to drought the Aman cultivation has also become expensive. So, they took loan for cultivation and irrigation.
While visiting, the fields in Barind area have been found dry due to lack of water. Some farmers stored rain water in their fields, but those have become dry too. As a result, the paddy plants are dying.
Famer Mamun of Godagari Municipality said, he planted Aman paddy 12 to 14 days back, but the plants started to die as there is no rain for the last 10 days.
Farmer Mithu of Tanor Upazila said, "We planted Aman in some fields, but most of the farmers could not plant rice due to lack of water. So the farmers are worried about Aman cultivation."
Farmers said it is quite impossible for them to buy water from the deep tube-wells of Barind Multipurpose Development Authority because they have to wait for serial, and the water is available after five to six days.
Farmer Monirul of Nezampur Village in Tanore Upazila said, "We could not cultivate our land due to lack of water. For no rain and lack of deep tube-well water, we are suffering much."
Godagari Upazila Agricultural Officer Motiur Rahman said this year's Aman paddy farming target in the upazila is 23,746 hectares of land. Till now, 4,200 ha of land have been brought under the cultivation.
He also said, "We still have time for Aman paddy farming. Rain will come throughout the month of Srabon. So we will not say it drought. There is no rain in Rajshahi due to adverse climate. But there is a chance of rain after July 25 and we will overcome this crisis then."
