The Department of Agriculture in Bhola has instructed the farmers to take home all types of ripe crops including paddy to avoid possible damage due to the cyclone Amphan in the Bay of Bengal.
Farmers have already started harvesting paddy in different areas Bhola district. However, the farmers are not able to harvest the paddy or other crops which have not ripened yet. As a result, they are worried.
According to the Bhola Agriculture Department, the farmers now have boro, china nuts, mochi, mug, felon pulses and soybeans in their vast crop fields. This time boro paddy has been planted in 38,788 hectares of land. Of which 68 per cent has been cut so far.
Farmers have started harvesting other crops including paddy in different areas including Chargazi of Velumaiya Union in Bhola Sadar from Sunday morning.
Harlam Madhu, Deputy Director, Department of Agriculture Extension, Bhola, said, “We have instructed the farmers to cut the crop quickly to protect the crop from the cyclone. The campaign is being carried out in different upazilas of the district from Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Cyclone Preparedness Program (CPP) said the cyclone was located 1,250 km south-southwest of Payra Sea Port.
CPP Bhola Deputy Director Md Sahabuddin said that at present the local signal number 4 is running in Bhola. “Regarding the cyclone, we instructed our volunteers to give microphone announcement onthe coast.”
The deep depression in the south-east Bay of Bengal has turned into a cyclone. Named Amphan, the storm is currently moving towards the coasts of Orissa and West Bengal in India. As a result, warning signal number 4 is running in the seaports of the country as the sea is rough.
Meanwhile, according to the Meteorological Department, cyclone Amphan could hit the coast of Bangladesh on Tuesday (May 19) or Wednesday (May 20). Therefore, the Department of Agriculture has urged the farmers to take home all the crops suitable for harvesting in the coastal upazilas as soon as possible.