Ashfaq Ahmed, Barlekha-Juri Correspondent: Farmers in the Hakaluki Haor region of Barlekha Upazila, Moulvibazar, are rejoicing over the successful harvest of Boro paddy. Despite challenges posed by hailstorms, heavy rainfall, and the threat of flash floods, farmers have already harvested about 55% of their crops. A festive mood prevails in the households of Haor farmers as they celebrate the new harvest. Farmers are hopeful that they will be able to complete the harvest of 100% of the Boro paddy within the next week, provided there are no natural disasters.
According to the Upazila Agriculture Office, this year, 3,600 hectares of land in the Barlekha region of Hakaluki Haor were cultivated for Boro paddy. Although the production target was set at 22,500 metric tons, the high yield is likely to exceed expectations. Generally, the harvest of Boro paddy begins on May 1, but this year, due to early maturity, the Upazila Agriculture Department officially inaugurated the harvesting on the Bengali New Year, Pohela Boishakh.
During a visit to the Halla area of Talimpur Union in Hakaluki Haor, farmers were seen harvesting paddy with joy and enthusiasm. Some were stacking the harvested paddy at the edges of their fields for threshing. Local farmers like Riaz Uddin, Suleiman Ahmed, Bilon Ahmed, Abdur Rahim, and Swapan Ahmed expressed their satisfaction, saying that the crops had fewer empty grains compared to previous years. They credited the late Ramadan rains for significantly benefiting the crops. Although there were hailstorms before the crops fully emerged, the damage was minimal.
Marginal farmer Selim Uddin, who cultivated 12 bighas of land, shared that he had already harvested nearly half of his crops despite the fear of adverse weather. He remarked that this year’s yield was much better than in previous years, and the lack of early flooding spared both mature and immature crops. Delwar Hossain, another farmer, mentioned that he cultivated 22 bighas of land with support from the agriculture office, including seeds and fertilizers. He noted that local agricultural officers regularly advised them, contributing to the successful harvest.
On Wednesday, Upazila Agriculture Extension Officer Rasheduzzaman Bin Hafez stated that a total of 5,600 hectares of land—3,600 hectares in the Haor region and 2,000 hectares in non-Haor areas—were cultivated for Boro paddy this year. The production target was set at 34,500 metric tons. Despite adverse weather conditions, farmers have already harvested about 55% of the paddy. He expressed optimism that if given another week, farmers would be able to complete the harvest of 100% of the crops. Due to the favorable yield, there is a strong likelihood of surpassing the production target.
