More than a week of heavy rain has caused extensive damage to the summer chili crop in Madhukhali upazila of Faridpur. Waterlogging in fields has rotted and killed most of the chili plants, pushing farmers into heavy losses. Affected farmers are demanding government support and compensation. About 2,720 hectares of summer chili were planted in Madhukhali, known as an agricultural upazila, this season.
Farmers said about three-quarters of the plants had been destroyed by the continuous rain, with chili growers in the Raipur, Jahapur and Megchami unions worst hit. Tuku Mondol, a farmer from Hatghata village in Raipur union, said he had planted chili on about half an acre, but the rain killed all his plants, and he was now preparing to clear the field and grow rice.
“I couldn’t recover even half of what I spent on cultivation. If the government compensates affected farmers, we can recover at least part of the loss,” Tuku Mondol said.
Another farmer, Khosru Mia, said fertilizer and pesticide prices had risen sharply, and the rain-ruined crop had left them facing big losses. Farmers could bounce back with government help, he said. Farmer Shafiq Sheikh said the plants would not survive and the only option was to clear the field and plant rice, while farmer Lalchan Molla said farmers could keep going if the government stood by them.
Madhukhali upazila agriculture officer Mahbub Elahi said 2,720 hectares of summer chili had been planted this year, but more than a week of rain had damaged many fields across the upazila, killing plants and causing farmers financial losses. He said a list of affected farmers was being prepared, that many had already received government support, and that others were being brought under support in phases.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report