The fate of the transplanting Aman (T Aman) producing farmers was slapped when the golden sheaf of paddy with its sweet smell inviting the farmers at fields since last week were razed to grounds in four-day continuous rainfall started on Wednesday.
Talking to a number of farmers at Umedpur, Dignagar and Kancherkole unions in Shailkupa upazila and Kalicharanur union in Jhenaidah Sadar upazila, said they were disheartened when the T Aman saplings were submerged immediate after the transplantation by incessant rainfall. But the natural havoc was removed and the plants started growing normally. They were once again affected due to continuous four days rainfall started on Wednesday last.
They said they were going to harvest about 20 maunds of paddy from each 33 decimal plot known as bigha which was almost 17 to 18 maunds last season. There was no major attack of harmful pest and diseases which saved money for pesticides this season.
But the continuous rainfall had razed huge standing T Aman plots on the ground in last four days. It might affect the yield, they said.
The farmers said they were confident enough when the green straw of the paddy plants were selling for around Taka 10 thousand from the same plot. Further, reduced prices of important fertilizer dye ammonium phosphate (DAP) was decreasing the production cost for any crop.
Office sources of the department of agriculture extension (DAE) in Jhenidah said the farmers of six Jhenidah upazilas had brought a total of 104,135 hectares o land under the T Aman farming in the season where at least 3.6 lakh tons of rice.
DAE deputy director Kripangshu Shekhar Biswas when contacted for his comments on damage of the standing T Aman paddy in the district, could not be reached over his cell phone as it was switched off since Saturday morning.
