Munshiganj potato farmers’ hope shattered due to untimely rain
Staff Reporter :
The potato cultivation in Munshiganj, a major potato farming hub in the country, has faced setbacks due to unseasonal rain and diseases, causing distress among the farmers.
Concerned about potential losses, farmers are expressing the need for government incentives to mitigate the impact of unpredictable weather conditions.
Additionally, some farmers are lifting their seed potatoes from waterlogged fields, storing them at home, and anticipating a future opportunity to replant once the water subsides.
A number of potato growers said that extensive potato fields in Munshiganj Sadar Upazila and Tongibari Upazila have been submerged in the recent rainwater caused by cyclonic storm.
Farmers said that due to the continuous rainfall, there is concern about the rotting of the seeds, prompting them to take immediate action to remove water from the fields using irrigation pumps and bucket as a last ditch effort to save their potatoes.
Abu Mia, a farmer in Bajrayogini village of Munshiganj Sadar Upazila told the media that he had cultivated potatoes on three acres of land this year. Now, all the fields are under water, and all the seeds are being anticipated to be ruined.
“A few days ago I heard that there will be a cyclone. But everyone in our area has already cultivated potatoes, thinking that there won’t be such heavy rain.
I thought it wouldn’t rain as much as it did. But now, all my hopes are shattered due to the rain,” he said. “If the government could provide some assistance, I would have bought new seeds,” he said.
Alamgir Sheikh, another potato grower in Tongibari Upazila said, “I have lifted soaked potato seeds from the waterlogged fields as a last ditch effort.”
“I had planted potatoes in all the low-lying areas. I had also planted two boxes of imported seeds, but they too went underwater. Now, I am struggling to lift potatoes from the water. If it is possible to replant, I will do it,” he regrets.
“I don’t have the financial capacity to buy new seeds now,” he said.
Sobuj Mia, a farmer in Munshiganj Sadar Upazila, said, “Yesterday, I cut a canal to drain water, but now the water has filled the adjacent low-lying area. There is no room for the water to go.”
Most of the farmers said that the untimely continuous rainfall has posed a serious threat to the potato cultivation in the region.
According to the Munshiganj Agriculture Extension Department, they have set a target of cultivating potatoes on a total of 34,346 hectares of land.
Farmers have already cultivated potatoes on 16,200 hectares of land by now, and preparations are underway to cultivate the remaining fields.
“The untimely rainfall has caused a serious threat to the potato cultivation. We have told the farmers to extract water out of their fields as soon as possible to save the potatoes,” Md Abdul Aziz, Deputy Director of the Munshiganj Agriculture Extension Department told the New Nation on Friday.
“If the water does not recede, the farmers will not be able to cultivate potatoes. It will take 10-12 days time to cultivate potato seeds again,” he said.
Asked about the farmers are lifting up the soaked potatoes from the waterlogged fields, he said, “It is difficult to save potato seeds from rotting through this method. However, it depends on the timeframe of the potato cultivation. If planted within a day or two, some potatoes can be salvaged.”
He additionally stated that diseases have impacted approximately 12,762 hectares of potato fields in the district, and he intends to submit the infection report to higher authorities for further guidance on the next steps.
“We have received reports of diseases affecting around 12,762 hectares of potato fields. A comprehensive report will be forwarded to the Department of Agriculture Extension, and farmers may be eligible for incentives based on the findings,” he stated.
