Despite the farmers using a variety of pesticides in their field, they have failed to control the pest attack, that has turned hundreds of bighas where aman is being cultivated brown, farmers said.
It’s a stark contrast to the ‘Sonar Bangla’ one expects where paddy is being cultivated.
Talking to UNB, Rajjak Master and Saddam Hossain of Hatgarabari village of the upazila said they have become hopeless following the severe pest attack just prior to the onset of winter. They are instead gearing up to face huge losses and that means they will fail to pay back the loans they have taken from local influentials this season.
Faruk Ahmed, another farmer of the same village said the pest affected his seven bighas of aman land. He used different types of pesticide but failed to tackle the attack.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Anwar Hossain Shadat said the upazila’s farmers had cultivated aman on a total of 5,270 hectares of land this season.
Many farmers in different areas have been affected by the pest attack even before the start of the severe cold. Department of Agriculture Extension officials are suggesting the affected farmers go to the fields and are hopeful the pest attack can be brought under control soon.