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Nature is burning in intense heat wave. In this situation, the Meteorological Department has issued a heat alert for three more days from Monday (April 22). However, even in this heat, the farmers of Sunamganj's Haor Boro are enjoying the festival of harvesting paddy at home. This year there has been a bumper crop of Boro paddy in the district as the weather has been favourable. Therefore, despite the heat of the heart, people from children to the elderly, men and women, have come down to harvest paddy every day in the district.
On the surface, it was seen that the golden rice ceremony was spread across the vast fields of the district. And the farming families of Haorpar depend on this golden rice. As a result, people from different professions outside the area are rushing to Howar to help in harvesting rice. In many places, the farmers are drying the paddy after threshing. The courtyard of Haorpar farmers' houses is enthralled by the smell of ripe paddy.
According to the information of Sunamganj District Agriculture Office, 137 small and big Howre Boro paddy has been cultivated in Sunamganj. Boro paddy is cultivated on 2 lakh 23 thousand 407 hectares of land in all districts. The production target of rice is about 13 lakh 70 thousand 200 metric tons. Boro rice yield is better than last time. If the haor crop can be harvested smoothly, rice worth 4 thousand 110 crore rupees will be produced in Sunamganj.
Modern paddy cutting machine combined harvester is being used for harvesting paddy along with sickle in Sunamganj. There is no shortage of workers in Sunamganj district to cut Boro paddy. There are 850 combined harvesters for paddy cutting and threshing in different upazilas of the district. 55% of the land will be harvested by machines and 45% by workers. If the weather is favorable for another 15 days, the officials of the Department of Agriculture Extension hope to get a higher yield than the target.
Maruf Talukdar, a farmer of Sunamganj's Shalla upazila, told RisingBD, 'Most of the land in our Shalla upazila has grown in rice. If you are in the direction of Haor, your mind will be filled. The rice has been so good this time, we are happy if it is not cloudy and raining now. Then we can cut the rice and bring it home.'
Saheed Ali, a farmer of the large Nalua Haorpar of Jagannathpur upazila, told RisingBD with a smile, 'I have cultivated paddy in about 11 kathas of land this time. Although paddy harvesting has started in full swing in various parts of the district, it will take us another three to four days to start. In just a few more days, if the weather is good, we expect a bumper crop of paddy.'
The overall situation is good, said Bimal Chandra Som, deputy director of the district agricultural extension department. He said that paddy harvesting is going on in all the districts of the district. There is no shortage of workers to cut rice. Because the combine harvester machine is working more than last time. Along with 850 combined harvester machines of Sunamganj district, 200 machines from other districts are equally harvesting paddy. If the weather is favourable, the yield is expected to be high this year. Moreover, the government officials are working in the field to ensure that the farmers can harvest their paddy well.
Executive Engineer of Sunamganj Water Development Board. Mamun Hawladar told RisingBD that there was a threat of thunderstorms in the district last week, but there is no forecast for heavy rains in the next 4-5 days. Upstream India's Cherrapunji has received light rain but there is no risk of landslides. There is no water in Haor river, there is no danger of flooding.
