Flood, labour shortage hit Chalan Beel boro farmers

Boro farmers in the Chalan Beel region, including Chatmohar, are facing a severe livelihood crisis this season as they struggle to harvest ripened paddy amid flooding, labour shortages and low market prices.

Around 60 percent of the paddy in the Chalan Beel region, including Chatmohar, has already been harvested, while farmers remain concerned about the remaining 40 percent

. Farmers are now busy harvesting, but there is a severe shortage of labourers to cover up therest of the 40 percent .

Farmer A.S. Momin from Handial, Chatmohar, said, “The paddy harvest is not yet complete.

The yield is good, but due to low market prices, we are facing losses.

Even at high wages, labourers are not available. Only Allah knows what will happen.”

Rezaul Karim, a farmer from Boaormari village, said, “The beel roads are in poor condition, so farmers are using polythene boats to harvest and transport paddy.

There is a fear that ripe Boro paddy will be submerged as the Gumani River water has suddenly risen and entered the beel.”

Many paddy fields in Dikshi Beel, Afrar Beel and Khalisagari Beel are now under water. Farmers are working day and night to harvest the crop under difficult conditions.

Shamim Ahmed, a farmer from Pashardanga, said, “All lands in Dikshi Beel are submerged. We are making strenuous efforts to harvest paddy in water.

It is difficult to transport it through village roads, and even cattle and buffaloes cannot move easily. We are using boats to carry paddy, which is increasing our losses.”

In mid-May, tidal water from the Gumani River overflowed and entered the beel, submerging ripe Boro paddy fields. Farmers now face a bleak situation due to the flooding.

Due to the lingering impact of COVID-19, agricultural labourers are hard to find. If labour available comes at high wages.

Even at Tk 1,000 per day, workers are often unavailable. In addition, poor road conditions are making it difficult to cut paddy in the beel and transport it to the roadside.

As both waterlogged and dry roads are in poor condition, farmers are using makeshift polythene boats to transport harvested paddy.

Boro paddy is the main crop in several unions of Chatmohar Upazila in the Chalan Beel area. As soon as the paddy ripens, water begins to rise

. Labour shortages remain a major challenge, leaving farmers struggling to bring their harvest home.

The situation has left them deeply worried, fearing further damage from storms, hail and rising water levels.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Krishibid Kuntala Ghosh said that only a few beels have been partially submerged. Farmers are busy harvesting and threshing paddy.

Although they may face losses due to low prices, there should be no significant overall damage as the yield has been good.

Although there has been a bumper yield this season, storms, rainfall and tidal water have damaged hundreds of bighas of ripe paddy fields.