Farmers in the sandbar areas of Kurigram have started harvesting Boro paddy before the season as the water levels of the Teesta, Dharla and Brahmaputra rivers have been increasing due to continuous rains and downpours over the last few days.

Farmers in the sandbars on around 16 rivers’ basin were seen harvesting paddy on Friday morning before it matures to minimise their losses.

But the water level in the rivers was still far below the danger level.

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Many farmers said that their dream of harvesting Boro paddy as expected was being dashed due to heavy rains. They are also worried about getting paddy straw due to the sudden rise in river water.

According to the Kurigram Agriculture Extension Department, Boro has been planted on 1,200 hectares of land on the sandbars of the river. However, in a few days, the farmers will be able to harvest this paddy.

Sadhu Mia, a farmer from Kadamtala village of Dharla river basin, said, “Like every year, I am cultivating boro on four bighas of land. But due to sudden downpours, the paddy fields of these sandbars got inundated.”

“I am cutting paddy in the hope of getting straw,” he added.

He further said that if there was no water, 10-12 mounds of paddy could be harvested per bigha. “I am now expecting to harvest 6-7 mounds of paddy in Bigha due to sudden increase in water and cutting of paddy before these get matured.”

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Abdus Sabur, officer-in-charge of Rajarhat Agricultural Meteorological Observatory, said 205 mm of rainfall has been recorded in Kurigram in the last week.

However, Abdur Rashid, deputy director of Kurigram Agriculture Extension Department, said Boro yields have been good so far. “Even a slight increase in water due to rainfall will not have much effect on Boro harvest.”