14,000 ha aman seedbeds damaged in stagnant water

Stagnant water caused damage to aman seedbeds on about 14,000 hectares of land in coastal districts Patuakhali and Barguna amid heavy rainfall and tidal surges this season, said sources of the Department of Agriculture extension (DAE).

In Patuakhali, DAE set a target to cultivate aman paddy on 2.02 lakh hectares of land and prepare seedbeds on 15,750 hectares for the purpose this year.

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In the beginning of the season farmers prepared seedbeds on 16,877 hectares but seedlings on about 7,889 hectares got affected due to weeks-long heavy rainfall and lastly tidal surges influenced by recent cyclone Komen.

Of it, seedbeds on 437 hectares were totally damaged.

These include 110 hectares in Sadar upazila, 98 hectares in Galachipa, 70 hectares in Baufal, 51 hectares in Rangabali, 38 hectares in Kalapara, 35 hectares in Dashmina, 20 hectares Mirzaganj and 15 hectares in Dumki, DAE sources said.

In Barguna district, about 6,000 hectares of aman seedbeds were damaged, of it seedlings of 247 hectares totally.

Heavy rainfall and stagnant water caused rotting of the seedbeds.

Tidal surges from nearby rivers and canals entering through broken parts of flood control embankments at different places flooded cultivable lands and seedbeds and the water often got stagnant.

Farmer Md Masud Mia, also a union parishad member from Mithaganj village in Kalapara upazila under Patuakhali district, said agricultural land of around 5,000 farmers in the village went under water due to heavy rainfall during the last couple of weeks and it caused damage to aman seedlings.

"We are facing crisis of aman seedlings as our seedbeds got damaged by stagnant rainwater and tidal surges from nearby Sehakathi River. Now we have to prepare new seedbeds or collect seeds from northern districts, which would be expensive, said Abdur Razzak of Uttar Badura village under Patuakhali Sadar upazila.

Md Moshiur Rahman, Kalapara upazila agriculture officer, said they are suggesting local farmers to produce seedlings from 'Nabi', a local variety aman seed, to recover from the damage caused by heavy rainfall and stagnant water.

Ashok Kumer Sharma, deputy director of DAE in Patuakhali, said, "The situation is now improving as stagnant water started receding from agricultural lands. We are still hopeful of meeting the target of aman cultivation this year."