Tangail Correspondent (North) : Farmers aspirations of good harvest have been shattered by the tornado lashed on Wednesday afternoon in Madhupur. They were waiting to harvest their
crops. Months of labor, investment, and dreams had been in the orchards. But a sudden gust of wind seemed to have shattered a large part of those dreams.
Banana, pineapple, papaya and vegetable gardens have been severely damaged in various areas including Sholakuri, Phulbaghchala, Arunkhola, Bhutia and Kuragachha in the forest area of Madhupur under Tangail district. Hundreds of farmers are in trouble, especially as banana trees have been damaged and uprooted. Crops worth about few crores of taka have been damaged, some
farmers told the newsmen.
On Wednesday a sudden storm with strong winds began at around 1 PM, destroying gardens in various areas in an instant. In some places, the trunks of banana trees have been damaged in others, the entire tree was uprooted. In addition, pineapple, papaya and various types of vegetable fields have been also damaged.
According to instant estimates of the Madhupur Upazila Agriculture Office, it is learned that about 27 hectares of banana and 26 hectares of papaya gardens have been damaged in the Sholakuri, Fulbagchala, Arunkhola, Bhutia and Kuragachha areas of the upazila. However, it is believed that the extent of the damage may increase further. Damage estimates for pineapple and various
vegetable gardens are also being collected.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Momtaz Begum said, " Work is underway to collect information on the damage at the field level." Local farmers said that after a long period of labor, money and care, the time had come to harvest the crops in the gardens. Many farmers had invested their loans and savings in banana, pineapple and papaya cultivation. But in an instant, their investments were thrown into uncertainty due to the sudden storm.
Enamul Hasan, said, "I have spent capital on pineapple and banana plantations. If the harvest is good, I had hopes of meeting many of my family's needs. But suddenly, everything ended in a moment due to the storm." Farmers say that the fall of a banana tree is not just a loss to a single tree; it involves the farmer's labor, debt, investment, family expenses, and future expectations. As a result, the extensive damage to the orchard has created a huge financial burden for them.
One Mojibor Rahman 30 son of Afez Mondol of village Kanriabari a border of Madhupur-Muktagacha was killed by thunder bolt yesterday during the storm. The affected farmers have demanded a complete inventory of the damage as well as government assistance and necessary technical support from the Agriculture Department. They have also called for assistance in re-cultivation of
the affected orchards by visiting them and providing necessary agro-technical advice. Without government assistance they will not be able to cope with their loses lamented the farmers.
