The government will take steps to provide incentives to the flood-hit farmers in haor areas of Sunamganj, said Agriculture Minister Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque on Tuesday. Intensive will be given to the affected farmers as Boro is the only crop in haor areas, he said adding the government will stand by the farmers to help them recoup losses. The agriculture minister revealed this information while talking to reporters after attending a meeting of the National Coordinating and Advisory Committee on Fertilizers at the Bangladesh Secretariat. Also read: Sunamganj farmers apprehend missing Boro harvest Replying to a question Razzaque said, “ 300 millimeters  rains were recorded in India in the two days and there is a possibility of more rains on April 14 and 15. We have no control  on nature. But we are taking measures to tackle any kind of disaster.” Every year, two crore tonnes of boro paddy are produced across the country and 12 lakh tonnes are produced in the haor areas which may get damaged and this is a matter of big concern for Bangladesh, he said.

Even after hail storm and insect attack, this season Boro crop has provided a good yield for farmers in Sylhet’s Bishwanath upazila this year. Cultivation of Boro paddy has exceeded the target there. Already Boro on 1.6 thousand hectares of land has been harvested and the farmers are happy at the super yield this year. Most farmers are busy harvesting ripe paddy. Also read: Jagannathpur farmers fret over stagnant water as boro yield hit There is no labour crisis this year and the government is providing subsidized rice harvesting machines. According to the Upazila Agriculture Extension Department, the target for borough cultivation in Bishwanath this year was set at 7.2 thousand hectares of land. Already Boro crop have been cultivated over 7.3 thousand hectares of land. Read Farmers in Laxmipur char leading the way in vegetable production The target for paddy production is 35 thousand metric tons this season. Farmer Jaber Ahmed of the upazila said, "I have cultivated Boro paddy at low cost without insecticides. Compared to other seasons, this time the yield has been as expected." “We are also happy getting a good price of paddy in the market," he added. Also read: Severe cold threatens Boro seedbeds in Kurigram Bishwanath Upazila agriculture officer Kanak Chandra Roy said farmers have already harvested 22% of the planted paddy and several sophisticated rice harvesting machines have been distributed among the farmers at subsidized rates. He further said, farmers will undoubtedly benefit from the good yield of Boro paddy this season. Due to low rainfall this year, the haor areas are not still filled with water and several crop fields are still visible. Read The curious case of onion 'lifting’ in Satkhira

A high production cost and low prices of the products have led to a decline in boro cultivation in Faridpur over the years as frustrated farmers go for cash crops.