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Hailstorm shatters dreams of Sakhipur mango growers

MIRZA SHAKIL, Tangail
Mango growers in Sakhipur upazila have incurred huge losses due to a devastating hailstorm in the area early Saturday.
Orchard owners in the upazila were expecting a bumper yield this season due to favourable weather and timely rain even a week ago.
The trees in the areas were full of mangoes till Friday last, but the hour-long hailstorm left nothing but a few leaves in most trees, locals said.
According to agriculture department officials in Sakhipur, around 500 growers cultivated different varieties of mangoes especially 'amropali' on 155 hectares of lands in the upazila this season.
The big chunk of hails, some weighing 1-2 kg, affected mango orchards on 75 hectares during the storm and rain.
Of those, mango orchards on 20 hectares were damaged fully while mangoes on 55 hectares damaged partially, agriculture officials said.
The worst affected orchards are in
Mohanandapur, Jiteswari, Toildhara, Gorbari, Surir Chala, Bagherbari, Indrajani, Kazirampur, Bailarpur villages under Kakrajan union; Kalomegha, Talepabad, Atia Salonga, Rangamatia, Fuljhuri, Nagerchala, Beltoli villages under Kalomegha union and Kachua, Bashar Chala, Sarashia, Kadernagar villages under Kalia union.
Shankar Kumar, owner of a mango orchard at Mahanandapur in Kakrajan union, said the hailstorm destroyed his mango trees on 30 bighas of land fully.
"I was expecting a bumper yield and hoping to sell mangos worth Tk 15 lakh. But allmydreams have been shattered,"hesaid.
Asaduzzaman Sentu, owner of another orchard at Toildhara village in Kakrajan union, said he had cultivated 'amropali variety ofmango on his 15bighas.
"Now I will have to incur a loss of at least Tk 6 lakh as all the mangoes of my orchard have been destroyed by hails," he said.
"How can I survive as I have to repay loans?" a frustrated Sentu posed.
Not only Sankar and Sentu but also other growers like Titu Miah, Lokman
Hossain of Toildhara village; Lutfar Rahman of Basharchala village have expressed similar frustration.
Azharul Islam Siddique, upazila agriculture officer in Sakhipur, said he had visited the affected mango orchards at the villages to estimate the extent of damages.
At least 30 mango growers in three unions incurred total loss as their orchards had been fully damaged by the devastating hailstorm, he said.
"We have primarily estimated the loss at aroundTk one crore," he added.
The agriculture officials in Sakhipur said not only mango but also banana orchards on 80 hectares and jackfruit orchards on 24 hectares in the areas were also badly damaged by the hailstorm.
Contacted, Mohammad Osman Khan, deputy director of Tangail Agriculture Extension Department, said he had directed the local agriculture officials to prepare the lists of affected fruit growers in the upazila so that they can get government help or compensation.