Four days of continuous rain caused by a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal have flattened half-ripe Aman paddy fields across all five upazilas of Lalmonirhat district, leaving farmers deeply worried as their crops face damage just before harvest.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), paddy plants have lodged in several areas due to the prolonged rain, though officials are still assessing the extent of the damage. This season, Aman has been cultivated on 86,645 hectares of land across the district.
A visit to different upazilas on Saturday (Nov 1) found golden paddy ears lying flat on the ground, raising fears among farmers of reduced yield and poor grain quality.
Salam Mia, a farmer from Duhuli village in Kaliganj upazila, said he cultivated Aman on one acre of land and planned to harvest it in about 15 days.
“I worked so hard to grow this crop, and just when it was time to harvest, the nonstop rain brought everything down,” he said. “Water has accumulated in the fields, soaking the paddy. The yield may drop by half.”
Dr. Saikhul Arefin, deputy director of the district DAE, said officials are working to determine the total loss and are providing necessary advice and assistance to affected farmers.
He added that tying up and bundling the fallen paddy plants can help reduce some of the damage.