Prolonged heavy rainfall has caused significant damage to crops across Chuadanga district, particularly in low-lying rural areas. A wide range of crops—including vegetables, Aus and Aman paddy, and jute—have suffered due to excessive water accumulation.
Fields of bottle gourd, cucumber, green chilli, and coriander are wilting under water, while softened soil has caused papaya and banana plants to collapse in many areas. Farmers are unable to prepare seedbeds for winter crops such as cauliflower and cabbage due to persistent waterlogging.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Chuadanga, a total of 872 hectares of farmland has been affected. Farmers estimate their losses to be in the tens of millions of taka.
Kamrul Hasan, a farmer from Sarabaria village in Sadar Upazila, said, “Continuous rain has prevented us from harvesting our paddy. My gourd, cucumber, and coriander fields are rotting. Flowering is disrupted, so yields will be low. We’re facing heavy losses.”
Asad, another farmer from the same village, shared that his papaya orchard on three bighas has been severely damaged as trees topple over due to loosened roots. His green chilli crop is also failing, with flowers dropping prematurely. “Rain and occasional storms in July uprooted many papaya plants,” he added, noting similar damage in nearby banana plantations.
Abzalur Rahman, a farmer from Uthli village in Jibannagar, has cultivated 30 bighas of land for over 40 years. “We’re running out of time to prepare seedbeds for winter cauliflower and cabbage. Many early seedlings have already rotted. If we start again, planting will be delayed, and costs will rise while yields drop. It’s a long-term blow to us farmers.”
Farmer Atikur Rahman believes losses already exceed Tk 10 million. “The impact won’t end here. Reduced cultivation and higher production costs will add to the farmers’ burden.”
DAE data shows the following crop damages: 42 hectares of Aman seedbeds, 98 hectares of Aman cultivation, 132 hectares of Aus paddy, 110 hectares of chilli, 312 hectares of vegetables, 57 hectares of banana, 37 hectares of papaya, 13 hectares of groundnut, 20 hectares of guava, 21 hectares of malta, and 30 hectares of dragon fruit. Notably, the report lists zero damage to jute and betel leaf, though farmers contest this.
Rokib Hossain, a betel leaf farmer in Taltola, Chuadanga municipality, said, “Waterlogging has caused the base of the betel vines to rot. I’m facing losses of Tk 70,000–80,000. It’s the same for other betel leaf growers in the village.”
Rakibul Hasan, Senior Observer at Chuadanga Meteorological Office, stated that rainfall this July was nearly five times higher than the same month last year. While July 2024 saw 85 mm of rain, this year it rose to 417 mm. In the first eight days of August alone, 170 mm of rain has already been recorded.
Masudur Rahman Sarkar, Deputy Director of the DAE, advised farmers to replant Aman paddy once water recedes. “If delays persist, late-season varieties can still be sown. If seedbeds are lost, there is still time to prepare new ones. In some cases, we’re recommending early winter crops instead. We’re guiding farmers accordingly.”
