Cyclone in forecast, farmers asked to harvest Boro paddy quickly

Due to low pressure in the Bay of Bengal, a strong cyclonic storm may sweep across the country on 26 May, which could harm this year's crop of Boro paddy. 

So the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has instructed farmers across the country to harvest their Boro paddy quickly.

In a public statement, the DAE instructed farmers who have around 80% of their crops mature, to harvest the paddy as soon as possible. The government will arrange for any labourers and machinery that farmers might need to harvest their paddy, the DAE added.

This year, Boro paddy has been planted in some 48 lakh 83 thousand 760 hectares across the country. 16% of these paddy fields remain to be harvested. 

bout the harvesting, AKM Monirul Alam, director, Field Services Wing of Department of Agricultural Extension, told The Business Standard that it will take only three days to harvest the remaining boro paddy fields around the country. But places where rice takes longer to mature are at risk, he added.

"As soon as 80% of paddy has matured in any particular field, we have instructed farmers to harvest their crops. We will help any way we can," Alam said. 

Many districts have already harvested their paddy but in some districts, paddy takes longer to mature. One such district is Manikganj where only 10 – 20% of the paddy has been harvested so far. Concerns have also been raised about coastal areas where paddy is yet to be harvested.

Mohammad Riazur Rahman, agriculture officer of Shivalaya Upazila in Manikganj, said only 10% of paddy has been harvested in the upazila. Due to later planting, paddy takes longer to mature here, he added.

"If the paddy is raw, strong winds will not cause much damage. But when matured, the paddy will fall off the plants in windy weather," he said.

According to the meteorological department forecast, there is a possibility of heavy rainfall followed by a cyclonic storm and the coastal areas of the country might also get flooded.