Rain damages vegetable seedbeds

Seedbeds of different vegetable in many villages in the district have been damaged due to heavy rain for the last few days.

Some vegetable growers saved their seedbeds by covering them with plastic sheets, but most of them could not do it due to shortage of sheets.

Ashraf Ali, 56, a vegetable grower of Karnapur village in Lalmonirhat Sadar, said he prepared seedbeds of cauliflower on 25 decimals of land for growing the vegetable on 12-bighas, but 50 percent of the beds have been damaged due to incessant rain for the last few days. He said he has suffered a loss of about Tk 20,000.

Ahmed Ali, 50, another grower of the village, said he prepared seedbeds on eight decimals for farming cucumber on three bighas, but they were damaged due to heavy rain. "I saved cauliflower seeds on 20 decimals by covering the beds with plastic sheets," he said, adding that he will try to prepare the seedbeds again.

Atul Chandra Roy, 42, a vegetable grower at Durakuti village in Lalmonirhat Sadar, said farmers will face trouble in re-planting the seedbeds, but they will have to do it to recoup their losses.

Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Bidubhusan Roy said the target for vegetable farming in the district has not been set as they are yet to get any letter from the head office in this regard. Many farmers prepared their vegetable seedbeds early to earn windfall profit, he added.

Lalmonirhat Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer Enamul Haque said farmers who prepared their vegetable seedbeds for farming vegetables have been affected due to heavy rain. Many of them will not be able to do business this year as their seedbeds have been damaged, but they will have a lot of time to prepare new beds, he added.