Due to long-term and intermittent floods, farmers have been severely affected in the cultivation of masakalai, the main cash crop in the char areas of Bera upazila of Pabna. At the same time, the expected production of vegetable farmers will be affected.
Haturia Nakalia, Kaitola, New Varenga, Old Varenga, Rooppur, Masumdia and most of the chars in the char areas of Dhalar Char Union have been submerged in flood waters more than once. As a result, the farmers of the char areas face huge economic losses. In the fifth phase of floods, most of the houses in the low-lying areas of the char area have been submerged in various vegetable fields including Barshali Eri paddy.
In addition, thousands of bighas of arable land in the char areas, especially masakalai cultivation land is still submerged under three to four feet of water. Talking to the local people of the char area and several farmers from different villages, it is learned that the lands have been submerged in the flood waters again and again this year, causing severe damage to various vegetable crops including paddy and Chinese nuts. Even after that, the farmers are hopeful that they will be able to make up for the loss by cultivating masakalai at the appointed time.
The economic income crops of the char farmers are nuts, masakalai, paddy and china. Masakalai is a suitable time for sowing in the land and after the rains have receded from the land, the field is tended and the sowing is completed by spraying masakalai in the first week of the month of Ashwin.
But two weeks after the month of Ashwin, the lands are still three to four feet deep under flood waters. Char farmers said that if the flood waters do not recede from the land within a week or two, the masakalai seeds will not be sown. If the masakalai seeds are not sown in the land in time, the farmers in the char areas will again face huge economic losses. Due to this fear, the farmers of the char areas have become confused and disoriented in their future thoughts.
Mohammad Azmat Ali, Deputy Assistant Agriculture Officer of Bera Upazila Agriculture Office, said that a large quantity of masakalai is produced in the char areas of Bera Upazila. Traders in different parts of the country meet the local demand. He said that as soon as the water recedes from the land, the farmers will be able to start sowing masakalai seeds in the land.