Prolonged water-logging hampers aman farming

With time running out, many farmers in Zianagar upazila of the district have failed to prepare their aman seedbeds this season as most of their farmlands are full of water-hyacinths duo to prolonged water-logging.

Nearly 200 farmers living in three unions of the upazila have been passing their days in doubt as several hundred acres of land could not be brought under aman farming this season.

Upcoming cultivation of aman paddy faces uncertainty as the growers have failed to remove the water-hyacinths and clean their farmland due to the water-logging for the last couple of weeks.

Farmers said as there are many canals and water bodies directly connected with the Kacha and Baleshwar River water hyacinth could easily enter into their paddy fields.

Ali Hossain of Charani village in the upazila said he could not prepare aman seedbeds in his five bighas of land as it remained covered with water hyacinths for weeks.

Zianagar Upazila Agriculture Officer Touhidin Bhuiyan said he has suggested the local farmers to use weed rotting medicine to destroy the water hyacinth and varied water plants.

Afzal Hossain, a farmer of the same area, said he has sprayed weeds rotting medicine in his farmlands but to no effect.

Deputy Director Abul Hossain Talukder of Department of Agriculture Extension said water hyacinths are useful fertilizers for the paddy cultivation.