Low rainfall raises fears over Aman rice transplantation

Although the monsoon season is at its peak, the familiar rain-soaked landscape is largely missing in Ishwardi, Pabna. Fields that are usually flooded with rainwater now rely on irrigation, reflecting a growing challenge for Aman rice cultivation.

Farmers say seasonal rainfall has steadily declined over the past few years, forcing them to depend on groundwater instead of natural rainfall. Agricultural experts believe this trend is a clear sign of climate change, which is increasing temperatures, putting pressure on groundwater resources, and threatening farming and rural livelihoods.

A visit to different parts of the upazila found farmers preparing land with irrigation, while only a limited number had started transplanting Aman seedlings. Most growers said irrigation costs have increased significantly because of the lack of rainfall.

According to the Ishwardi Upazila Agriculture Office, the target for Aman cultivation this season is 3,670 hectares. So far, only 210 hectares have been planted-just 5.72 percent of the target.

Agriculture officials said much of the land is still occupied by jute. A shortage of labour and insufficient water for retting have delayed jute harvesting, preventing many farmers from preparing their fields for Aman cultivation. They expect planting to accelerate if jute is harvested within the next two weeks.

Weather data from the Ishwardi Meteorological Office show that rainfall reached 318.02 mm by July 30 this year, compared with 394.7 mm in July last year-a decline of 76.5 mm.

Farmer Araj Ali of Ilshemari village in Sara Union said he cultivates Aman on nearly one acre every year. However, due to inadequate monsoon rainfall over the past few years, production has suffered, and this season he has not yet been able to prepare his land. Another farmer, Atiar Rahman of Gopalpur, said his sesame crop has already been harvested, but he is still waiting for a power tiller to puddle the field before transplanting rice seedlings.

Farmers also reported rising production costs due to higher wages, fuel, fertiliser and pesticide prices. While a few have managed to transplant seedlings using irrigation, most are still waiting for rain. Many said fields dry out quickly even after irrigation. Farmer Mashiur Rahman said delayed rainfall has increased irrigation and labour costs per bigha, while uncertainty over fair paddy prices has added to their concerns.

Several farmers, including Hasem Khan, Abdul Rakib, Bashir Uddin Ahmed and Abul Hannan, said they are using shallow pumps and electric motors to irrigate their fields, significantly increasing cultivation costs.

During a field visit, this correspondent found farmer Mojibur Rahman Khan preparing his land with irrigation in Gopalpur beside the Ishwardi-Bagha regional road.

Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officer Sujan Roy said Aman cultivation normally begins in early July and ends by late August. However, insufficient rainfall has delayed planting this year. He expressed hope that if adequate rain begins soon, most transplanting can be completed within the next 15 to 20 days, with irrigation being used where necessary to achieve the cultivation target.