Haor farmers rush to dry paddy as sunshine returns

Farmer Abdur Rahim has no time to rest. He keeps turning the paddy spread out for drying. Wife Asma Akter, school-going daughter Tashfia and college-going son Russell Mahmud are assisting him. They have only one goal—to bring the paddy home before rain returns.

Yesterday, Saturday afternoon, Abdur Rahim’s family was seen passing a busy time on the the Itna-Mithamain-Austagram all-weather road adjacent to the large haor in Mithamain upazila of Kishoreganj.

Not only Abdur Rahim’s family, but other haor farmers were also busy along the 30-kilometre stretch of the all-weather road. Some were drying paddy, some threshing, and others drying straw.

Abdur Rahim said incessant rainfall over the past several days had flooded the khola (place for drying paddy). Although there has been sunshine for the last three to four days, the drying grounds remain wet and muddy. For this reason, everyone has chosen the haor all-weather road to save their paddy. According to him, regardless of criticism of the road, it has now become the last refuge for haor farmers.

Another farmer, Tajuddin, was drying paddy on the road with his wife. He said who knows the rain may return any time. Drying paddy in wet khola within a short time would have been very difficult. Another farmer, Asad Mia, said although drying paddy on the road causes some inconvenience for vehicles, no one is complaining this time. Despite some difficulties in movement, everyone has accepted the situation.

While cleaning paddy with a kula (winnowing tray), farmer Rahima Begum said, “By the grace of Allah, we have had sunshine for the last four days. The drying ground has become muddy. There is no place to dry paddy. So we are drying it on the road.”

A visit yesterday to parts of the Itna-Mithamain-Astagram all-weather road, along with Karimganj, Nikli and Bajitpur, showed that many submerged paddy fields have re-emerged as water levels dropped after several sunny days. Labourers were harvesting paddy from the fields, while trucks and other vehicles were transporting it for threshing. In addition, farmers were turning piles of paddy in drying grounds under the sun.

Kishoreganj Water Development Board executive engineer Md Sazzad Hossain said river water levels have dropped significantly due to continuous sunshine and the absence of rain over the past few days. Many paddy fields that had gone underwater have resurfaced.

Deputy Director of the District Agricultural Extension Department Mohammad Sadikur Rahman said farmers have been instructed to complete paddy harvesting before the weather deteriorates again. He added that 75 per cent of paddy harvesting in the district has already been completed.