Waiting for the rain
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“In normal times, I would have prepared my land for transplanting Aman by now. But the situation is different this year as I am still waiting for rain,” he told The Daily Star.
He said they usually do not use deep tubewells for irrigation because it rains in this season every year. “So, farmers from our region did not have any preparation for irrigation. I do not know what will happen,” said a frustrated Sadek.
Abdul Halim from Gobindaganj of Gaibandha said he did not face such a problem last year as there were rains. But this year it is already late and he could not finish Aman transplantation.
“This year I have to irrigate my land with a deep tubewell to transplant Aman. I am transplanting slowly, still expecting rains,” said Halim, who is cultivating Aman on two acres. “The cost of irrigation will be a burden on me.”
Abdus Salam, a farmer of Hamchiapur village in Pabna, could not even start Aman cultivation on his two bighas due to the lack of water. The production is uncertain.
Md Abdul Mannan, a meteorologist, said as rainfall is likely to be low and temperature will rise this month, the Aman management will be significantly hampered.
“Farmers will need irrigation which will increase the cost of production. On the other hand, delayed transplantation will reduce the life cycle of the plant. This will hamper production,” he added.
Habibur Rahaman Chowdhury, director of the field services wing of the DAE, said although the rate of transplantation was low due to poor rainfall in July, it would be completed by this month.
“In many areas, farmers are waiting for rains for Aman transplantation and in some areas, farmers are in fear of possible flooding. However, if everything remains in favour, the crucial part of Aman cultivation -- that is transplantation -- will be completed by this month,” he said.
A dry spell with low rainfall and rise of temperature have been prevailing in the country over the last two months. June’s average rainfall is 439.9mm but this year it’s 423.8mm -- down by 3.6 percent.
The situation turned worse in July as the rainfall was 57.6 percent less than the last 30 years’ average for that month and lowest in the last 41 years in Bangladesh.
WHAT IS TO BE DONE?
Experts suggested the government come up with a package of subsidies to ensure production of the rice in this critical time when the overall economy is under pressure.
AMM Shawkat Ali, a former food adviser to the caretaker government, said there are double troubles for Aman farmers -- poor rainwater for the rain-fed crops and seedlings crisis.
“The government should focus on supplementary irrigation at free of cost to encourage farmers and ensure production. As floods have damaged seedlings in some places, the government should come up with agricultural rehabilitation programmes immediately.”
Otherwise, he said, there will be a shortfall in Aman production which is already predicted in a USDA report published recently. “Because of this, our dependence on the international market for rice import will increase which is risky in this crisis period.”
As Aman production will be hampered, policymakers should immediately sit together to find out the strategy to fill up the production gap, he suggested.
Dr M Asaduzzaman, a former research director of BIDS, said another pressure on farmers is that the government has increased the price of Urea fertiliser.
“Farmers in our country waste irrigation water and fertiliser. The government has to work very proactively to reach out to farmers and make them understand about not wasting water and fertiliser. It will save their money,” he said.
Besides, he said, many farmers could not prepare their Aman seedbeds. “So, if possible, the government should provide them with the Aman variety with a shorter life span.”
The lack of rainfall not only creates a problem for farmers to cultivate Aman, also for the Boro, he told The Daily Star yesterday. “The low rain means our groundwater will not be recharged and farmers will face problems irrigating during the Boro season.”
As the adverse weather across top rice producing countries is threatening to reduce the output of rice, he said, the government should make a good stock of rice by imports before the international price goes up.