As the water level in the Padma River continues to rise, thousands of bighas of land planted in the char areas of Rajbari have been submerged.
According to agriculture officials, the low-lying areas of the Padma have been inundated with tidal water for the past few days and the planted almond fields in these areas have been completely inundated. After a few days, the groundnut could be picked up by the farmers.
But due to the increase in water in the Padma, it was not possible to harvest thousands of bighas of land. Some farmers were able to pick some nuts but most of them could not pick them as their fields were submerged. They have suffered huge losses. The family of these farmers used to sell these nuts all the year round.
Rajbari district is famous for groundnut cultivation. Due to higher market price of almonds this year, farmers in different areas including the char areas of Rajbari have planted more almonds.
The yield was also as expected. Again the market price is also good. But despite the high yield and market price, the farmers are now worried as the almond fields have been flooded.
Most of the almond fields have been submerged due to the recent rise in tidal waters in the Padma and flooding of the lower reaches of the char areas.
Most of the drowned nuts that the farmers picked up have also been ruined and blackened. They have to pay more to get the nuts submerged in water. Again, the cost of bringing them to the shore by trawlers and boats is doubled.
The char areas including Daulatdia Ghat can be seen on the ground. Almond farmers are now picking nuts from the water and removing them from the trees by workers and locals in trawlers and boats at Ferry Ghats 3 and 4, Launch Ghats and Canal Ghats.
In exchange for not having cash in hand, they are giving up a portion of the almond trees and the nuts they produce at the end of the day for food. This is how the livelihood struggle is going on in the farmer's house.
At present, the wholesale market price of almonds is Rs 55 to Rs 65 per kg. And per maund is being sold for 2,300 to 2,800 rupees. Cultivated almond fields are in Daulatdia, Devgram, Chhotabhakla and Ujanchar Union chars of Rajbari, Barat of Rajbari Sadar upazila, Mizanpur, Khanganj, Kalikapur of Kalukhali upazila, Ratandia and Habaspur and Bahadurpur unions of Pangsha upazila.
Farmers in the area said thousands of bighas of land in the char area had been destroyed by the floods. That is why they are currently facing a loss of millions of rupees.
Akkas Mandal and Hashem Mandal, almond farmers of Daulatdia, said that they planted almonds on 50 bighas of land this year. He has spent Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 per bigha for all the expenses starting from farming and has spent Rs 15 lakh to Rs 20 lakh on 50 bighas of land.
He could earn a few lakhs of rupees if he could bring home nuts from the entire cultivable land. But the almond field has been submerged in water and it has suffered huge losses.
He is worried about how he will compensate for this loss. Hundreds of more such farmers have lost thousands of bighas of almond fields and caused huge losses. Most of the farmers are seeking the help of the government to make up for their losses.
Gopal Krishna Das, deputy director of Rajbari Agriculture Extension Department, said 635 hectares of nuts have been planted in Rajbari this year.
However, due to the increase in tidal water in the Padma, the arable land in the char areas of Sadar Upazila and Goaland Upazila has been submerged. As a result, their farmers could not get the nuts of about 140 bighas of land. Although some of them have been able to pick nuts from the land, most of them have been destroyed.
He expects that all the affected farmers would be rehabilitated and other crops would be provided to them. In this way the farmers will be able to compensate the loss even if it is a little bit.
