Harvest dreams sink in flooded haor regions

Farmers in Bangladesh’s flood-prone haor regions are facing severe losses after days of heavy rain, upstream flooding, and seasonal storms submerged vast stretches of Boro paddy fields just as harvesting was underway.

In response, the government has announced emergency financial assistance, but distress on the ground continues to deepen.

Agriculture Minister Amin-ur Rashid said on Monday that affected farmers will receive Tk7,500 per month for three months to help offset their losses.

The announcement followed a meeting with deputy commissioners at the DC Conference in Dhaka.

He added that the amount could be increased depending on the scale of damage, with funds likely to be disbursed from sources such as the prime minister’s relief fund and disaster management allocations.

However, he acknowledged that it would not be possible to fully compensate all losses.

A committee is being formed, and field-level officials are preparing lists of affected farmers.

While the government works on relief measures, the situation in the haor areas presents a grim picture.

In regions surrounding Hakaluki, Kawadighi, and Hail haors, thousands of farmers have seen nearly ripe or fully ripe Boro paddy submerged under 3–4 feet of water for close to a week.

Agricultural officials warn that paddy submerged for this long is unlikely to remain usable.

In Kulaura upazila alone, around 3,000 farmers across more than 50 villages have been affected, with at least 380 hectares of land damaged.

Local representatives say that in some areas more than half of the crop has been destroyed.

Many farmers report that this single Boro harvest is their primary annual source of food and income, making the losses devastating.

Farmers describe desperate efforts to salvage crops — cutting paddy while standing in water, transporting it by boat or makeshift rafts, and piling it along roadsides.

However, due to a lack of sunshine and uninterrupted electricity, much of the harvested grain is now rotting.

In many cases, labour shortages and fuel constraints have prevented the timely use of harvesting machines, further delaying the process.

Rising labour costs have also increased expenses, in some instances exceeding the market value of the harvested crop.

Even where paddy has been collected, it is deteriorating before it can be processed. Many farmers say they have already lost hope.

For them, the destruction of this crop represents the loss of their entire year’s livelihood.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, although up to 80 per cent of paddy has been harvested in some areas, adverse weather continues to threaten the remaining crops.

Officials are attempting to accelerate harvesting, and government procurement operations have begun, allowing farmers to sell paddy at a fixed price.

Beyond immediate relief, the government is also considering longer-term agricultural reforms.

These include the introduction of a farmer card system to better track production and planning, the possibility of a quota system for crop management, and initiatives to stabilise market prices.

The minister also highlighted efforts to diversify potato production and explore export opportunities.

However, for farmers in the haor regions, the immediate concern is survival.

With their main crop largely destroyed, many now fear how they will feed their families in the months ahead, even as assurances of government support begin to take shape.