Aus croplands, Aman seedbeds, vegetables and other seasonal crops were damaged by recent flood in the northern districts, according to officials at the Department of Agriculture Extension.
Many parts of Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Jamalpur, Gaibanda, Dinajpur, Thakugoan and Bogra districts were inundated by onrush of water from upstream and damaged the crops, they said.
DAE has been trying to assess the extent of the crop damage in the northern district by the floods.
Kurigram DAE official said that seedlings of Ropa Aman, vegetables and other crops on about 200 hectares had gone under flood water.
When asked, Khalequzzaman A. Chowdhury, member director (corps) at Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council, told New Age on Sunday that the recent flood has damaged Aus paddy, Aman seedbeds and vegetables in the northern districts.
He said that the farmers should immediately prepare their Aman seedbeds at the high lands, particularly on home yards or playgrounds of local schools, colleges and other places to avoid shortage of Amon saplings.
The cultivation of Aman, a nature-based crop, would start across the country from August, he said.
The BARC official suggested the farmers to
cultivate submerge tolerance varieties of Aman rice including BRRI Dhan-51 and 52 that can survive under water for about two weeks to minimise their loss.
Meanwhile, the government has been distributing Aman seeds, fertilisers and cash money among farmers in Barisal, Bhola, Patuakhali and Barguna districts, field service wing officials said.
Each farmer was getting 5 kilogram of Aman seeds, 20 Kg of DAP and 10 Kg of MOP fertilisers and cash of Tk 200, they said.
Seeds have already been distributed among all farmers and fertilisers given to 21,535 farmers as on July 20, they said.
Cyclonic storm Mahasen had hit Bangladesh coastal belt on May 16 and damaged agricultural crops and infrastructures.
-With New Age input
