BARISHAL — Six days of heavy rain and tidal surge have devastated agriculture across Bangladesh’s Barishal division, damaging crops on roughly 1.9 million hectares and directly affecting more than 100,000 farmers, the local agriculture extension department said.
Persistent rain, gusty winds and tidal flooding submerged thousands of hectares of farmland between April 28 and May 3, leaving farmers in distress. Mung bean growers were hardest hit, the department said.
According to the Barishal Department of Agriculture Extension, about 1.9 million hectares of crops were damaged in the period, directly affecting 100,859 farmers.
Heavy rain and strong winds flattened boro rice on 75,611 hectares, affecting 4,463 farmers, the department said. Mung bean crops on 76,689 hectares were damaged, affecting 57,864 farmers.
Chili crops on 790 hectares were destroyed, hurting 4,574 farmers. Groundnut on 10,594 hectares was damaged, affecting 6,606 farmers. Soybean fields on 4,448 hectares were damaged, affecting 3,366 farmers.
Summer vegetable plots also suffered extensive damage, with crops on 3,195 hectares destroyed and 17,232 farmers seriously affected.
Aus rice seedbeds, transplanted aus paddy, jute, papaya, banana, betel leaf, sweet potato, maize, sesame and sunflower crops were also damaged, the department said.
Farmers said the losses had wiped out the season. Rafiq Mia, a farmer in Babuganj upazila’s Kedarpur union, said the rain and tidal water had destroyed everything. “All the hopes I had when I planted are now washed away with the water,” he said.
Riyaz, a farmer in Barishal Sadar upazila’s Chandpura union, said fields had flooded before harvest. “Now we’re cutting half-ripe rice,” he said. “Yields will fall sharply.”
Yusuf Mollah, a farmer in Nabagram union, said six days of rain and wind had ruined the boro crop. “We are cutting it before it ripens. The losses will be heavy,” he said.
Mohammad Nazrul Islam Sikder, additional director of the Barishal Department of Agriculture Extension, said heavy rain and tidal flooding had caused widespread crop damage across the division. “A list of affected farmers is being prepared. Government incentives and assistance are being processed,” he said.
Officials warned the damage could affect food production. They said farmers would need quick relief and rehabilitation to keep them planting next season.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report