Floods began to recede on Sunday destroying standing vegetable and other crops in Pabna, Chapainawabganj, Rajbari and other districts. Though the Padma and the Gorai fell below their danger marks on Sunday farmers felt frustrated to see their black gram and early winter crops destroyed or damaged. Early winter vegetables are cash crops that provide extra earnings to the farmers, Department of Agricultural Extension’s deputy director in Pabna Azhar Ali told New Age. He said that floods caused losses worth over Tk 65 crore to 3,297 farmers in the district. He said that flood waters began to recede keeping crop fields in Pabna sadar, Sujanagar, Bera, Ishwardi, Faridpur and Bhangura upazilas submerged for 10 crucial days. According to the primary estimate of the DAE office in Pabna, early winter vegetables on 1,235 hectares, black grams on 1,037 hectares, banana on 561 hectares, chilli on 110 hectares, and aman  rice on 60 hectares were damaged by the sudden floods. ‘It is as if we are destined to suffer loss in one or the other way,’ said Abdullah, a farmer of Char Sanikdiar village in sadar upazila. Drought affected agriculture production in Pabna and the adjacent districts in the immediate past summer. After meeting its own requirements Pabna meets 10 per cent of the  annual national vegetable demand of about four million tonnes. Many farmers grow early winter vegetables as they fetch good prices and their sowing begins in late August or early September. In Rajshahi division, black grams on 10,000 hectares, which is the third of the total acreage of the crop this year, remained under water for 10 days until the flood waters started to recede Sunday. Rajshahi also meets 15 per cent of the annual national vegetable demand and at least early vegetable crops on 1,000 hectares were damaged in the divisioon. DAW deputy director in Rajshahi Deb Dulal Dhali said that that the aman rice on 1,400 hectare remained completely submerged for three days. ‘Farmers can still grow their winter vegetables but their efforts to make extra money by selling early winter vegetables went in vain,’ said Dulal. DAE deputy director in Rajbari Fazlur Rahman said that vegetables and other crop on 370 acres were damaged by floods. ‘We are lucky in the sense that the damage could have been greater had flood waters stayed longer,’ said Fazlu. DAE estimates of crops damaged by the floods in Kushtia and Shariatpur were not available. Agriculturists said that parts of the affected aman rice could still be harvested but there was  no chance of harvesting early winter vegetables  and the black grams. The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre Sunday morning said that the country’s major rivers would continue to recede over the next 72 hours. The Met Office recorded the country’s highest rainfall of 73 mm in 24 hours until Sunday morning at Sylhet. It predicted isolated rainfall at a few places until Monday morning. The floods were caused by India opening the floodgates of the Farakka Barrage on September 29. Aside from damaging homes, crops, strong current in the Padma disrupted the ferry services between the Paturia Ghat and the Daulatdia Ghat. Source - http://www.newagebd.net