Vegetable cultivation faces setback for lack of rain

Vegetable growers in different upazilas of Lalmonirhat and Kurigram are getting frustrated due to lack of rainfall during the ongoing hot spell for the last couple of weeks and they are now worried that they may not get the expected production of crops this season.

Finding no alternative, some of the farmers have been irrigating their vegetable fields, using diesel-run shallow machines, but it is increasing the production cost of the crops.

Farmer Jiten Chandra Barman of Kumrihat village in Aditmari upazila said though he is taking care of his two bighas spinaches field as much possible, he is worried about getting expected output due to the drought like situation currently prevailing all over the country.

"There has been no rainfall in the district for over a month now," Jiten said, adding that he had never witnessed such weather condition during this time of the year.

"Now I fear that I may not get the expected production from my four bigha bitter gourd field as there is no rain for the last couple of weeks, said Ashraf Ali of the village."

Moreover, their vegetable fields are getting attacked by different insects and pests due to lack of rainfall during this period of the cultivation, he added.

Meanwhile, Narendra Nath Barman, a vegetable grower at Baidder Bazar in Kurigram's Rajarhat upazila, said lack of rain as well as the ongoing heat waves have been badly hampering the vegetable farming in his locality.

"Rain is essential for the vegetable farming, especially during this time of the season," he said.

Farmer Aftab Uddin of Shimulbari village in Kurigram's Phulbari upazila said local farmers fear that they may incur losses due to lack of irrigation water for vegetable farming.

According to Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), different kinds of vegetables have been cultivated on 1,850 hectares of land in Lalmonirhat and 2,340 hectares in Kurigram this season.

Lalmonirhat DAE Deputy Director Hamidur Rahman said he is also upset over lack of rainfall during this time of the year.

Due to lack of rain the production of spinach has fallen alarmingly while the quality is very poor as well, he said.