A biting cold wave for around the past two weeks, coupled with thick fog, has swept across large parts of the country this winter, damaging an estimated 20 percent to 50 percent of Boro paddy seedlings in several regions.
Farmers say prolonged low temperatures and a lack of sunlight have affected seedbeds, leaving seedlings yellow or white, causing leaf rot and, in severe cases, gradual die-off.
Paddy seedlings need sunlight for healthy growth. Cold weather and prolonged cloud cover slow development and weaken plants at an early stage.
The damage this season has left farmers worried about meeting the February transplantation window for Boro -- the country’s largest paddy variety. Many say they may be forced to prepare new seedbeds, which would push up costs and reduce the area they can cultivate.
The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has set a target to cultivate Boro paddy on 50.53 lakh hectares this season, with a production goal of 2.27 crore tonnes. Farmers fear the damage caused by the cold spell could make those targets harder to achieve.
On Sunday, the cold wave was sweeping across nine districts, down from 19 districts earlier, according to the met office. The impact remains visible in several farming belts.
Northern districts have been among the worst affected, with seedbeds damaged in Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Gaibandha and Nilphamari districts.
Badiar Rahman, a Boro farmer at Rangpur Sadar upazila, said he prepared Boro seedbeds on 24 decimals of land, but nearly half of the seedlings had turned white and pale, making them unsuitable for transplantation.
Preparations are underway to lift seedlings and transplant them into fields within the next week, said Rahman. But he was worried about the lack of healthy plants.
In Kurigram, farmer Nazir Uddin of Burirhat village at Rajarhat upazila said about 20 percent of the seedlings on his 15-decimal seedbed had been damaged by the cold wave.
“As a result, I will not be able to cultivate Boro paddy on the full land I had planned,” he added.
Abdul Hamid, a Boro farmer from the central Bangladesh district Rajbari, said he spent Tk 20,000 preparing seedbeds on nine decimals of land to produce 34 kilogrammes of seedlings.
“Because of the cold wave, around 35 percent to 40 percent of the seedlings have died. As a result, I will not be able to cultivate as much land as I had planned due to the shortage of seedlings,” he said.
Similar problems have been reported from the northeastern district of Netrokona.
Pijush Mitra of Singher Bangla union in the district said the cold wave over the past few days has disrupted normal seedbed growth. In some places, seedlings are turning yellowish or white, and some are dying.
Farmer Haque Mia of Dhalamulgaon village at Purbadhala upazila of the same district said the severe cold has slowed growth and caused leaf rot in many seedbeds.
“If the cold intensifies further, we will have to prepare new seedbeds, which will increase costs,” said Mia.
Local agriculture officials acknowledge the damage but say assessments are still underway.
Rajbari Sadar upazila Agriculture Officer Md Jony Khan said some Boro seedlings had been damaged by the cold wave, although the exact extent of the losses has yet to be determined.
“As weather conditions have improved, we are advising farmers to prepare new seedbeds where earlier ones were damaged,” he added.
Sirajul Islam, additional director of Rangpur regional Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), said seedbeds in the region have been partially damaged.
“Seedlings in many areas are turning white and pale, and normal growth is not occurring. Efforts are underway to assess the full extent of the damage,” he said.
Md Amirul Islam, deputy director of DAE in Netrakona district, said there is always a risk of seedbed damage during severe cold spells.
“After receiving reports, we are providing necessary advice to farmers at the field level,” he said.
Agricultural economist Jahangir Alam said farmers need timely alerts and guidance to protect crops from cold and fog. He said concerned officials must act more responsibly to minimise losses.
Mohammad Khalequzzaman, director general of the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), said if sufficient sunlight returns, crops can often recover. Prolonged cloudy weather, however, increases the risk of lasting damage.
He said farmers should follow guidance issued by the Bangladesh Agricultural Meteorological Information System and take protective measures during cold spells.
Any shortfall in Boro production could add to broader inflationary pressures. In August last year, the General Economics Division of the Planning Commission said rice prices were a major contributor to food and overall inflation. More than half of the food inflation in July was driven by rice prices, reflecting the sensitivity of the food staple market to disruptions in domestic supply.
[The Daily Star’s Netrokona correspondent Jaydul Islam also contributed to this report]
