RAJARHAT, KURIGRAM, Apr 22: Farmers in the Teesta River char areas of Rajarhat Upazila in Kurigram are facing significant losses this season, despite a bumper harvest of chilli and other crops, due to recent hailstorms, excessive rainfall and falling market prices.
According to the Upazila Agriculture Office, crops worth around Tk 2 crore belonging to 563 farmers have been damaged in the char areas due to adverse weather conditions. As a result, frustration and uncertainty have gripped local farmers.
A recent visit to the Teesta char areas under Ghorialdanga Union revealed vast stretches of farmland filled with crops such as groundnut, millet, sesame, flax, onion and chilli. However, behind the lush green fields lies the distress of struggling farmers.
Abdul Aziz, 72, a farmer from Char Gatiasham, said he spent Tk 12,000 on cultivating chilli on 9 decimals of land, taking loans to cover the cost. "I haven't been able to recover my expenses yet. On top of that, many plants have been damaged by hail and rain," he said.
His wife, Anowara Begum, said they had planned to use the income from chilli sales for household needs, but the price fall has caused major losses.
Agriculture office sources said chilli and onion were cultivated on 815 hectares of land in the upazila this season. Upazila Agriculture Officer Saifunnahar Sathi said yields of chilli and other crops in the Teesta char areas have been good this season. "Despite some losses due to natural disasters, we hope farmers will be able to recover through their efforts," she said.
Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension in Kurigram, Abdullah Al Mamun, said crops were cultivated on 8,528 hectares of land in the Teesta char areas this season. Of this, 517.5 hectares were affected by hailstorms and heavy rain, including 296 hectares that were completely damaged.
