Tanore, Rajshahi, May 03 (V7N)- A sudden and severe hailstorm, accompanied by the Boishakhi storm, has caused widespread damage to Boro rice crops in Tanore, Rajshahi. The weather shift occurred around 2 pm on Thursday (May 1st), with dark clouds quickly followed by strong winds, heavy rain, and significant hail. The hailstones, falling in large quantities, flattened paddy plants across the region, leaving farmers in deep despair.

Local farmers reported that ripe paddy fields were particularly affected, with plants lodged in waterlogged fields. In many areas, harvested paddy left in the fields to dry was soaked by the rain, raising fears of spoilage if it cannot be dried promptly. This hailstorm struck during the peak Boro rice harvesting season, resulting in extensive damage to the crop.

Farmers Dulal and Samad from Parisho Batashpur village in Kamargaon union lamented their losses. "We had cut a significant amount of paddy and left it in the field," they said. "Now, the paddy is submerged due to water accumulation. If we can't dry it, everything will be ruined." They estimated that over half of the paddy in their area was still in the fields, and much of the cut paddy is now underwater due to the rain. Farmers who were planning to harvest within a day or two have been the hardest hit. Samad added that he had cultivated Boro rice on 18 bighas of land, with 8 bighas still in the field, and the entire crop on that land has been flattened by the impact of the hail.

Babul Akhtar, a farmer from Damdama village, stated that the sudden hailstorm has caused irreparable damage to their cut Boro paddy in the fields. Indojit, a farmer from Dostarampur village, reported that hailstones had destroyed the paddy crop on 4 out of his 12 bighas of land. Reports from various areas across the upazila indicate that farmers in every village have been affected by the unexpected storm, with Boro rice suffering the most damage. Low-lying Boro rice fields are currently underwater, while unharvested rice has been knocked to the ground by the force of the hail, resulting in widespread devastation.

Tanore Upazila Agriculture Officer, Agriculturist Saifullah Ahmed, acknowledged that the hailstorm during the ongoing Boro paddy harvesting season has created significant concerns of crop loss for farmers. However, he noted that the full extent of the damage is yet to be determined. He stated that as soon as the rain subsided, deputy assistant agricultural officers were dispatched to the fields in different areas to advise farmers on draining water from their cut paddy fields. Deputy assistant agricultural officers Akbar Hossain, Rakib Hossain, and Mir Sumon Rana reported that they promptly visited affected areas to provide overall support and guidance to the farmers, emphasizing the agricultural office's continuous engagement with the farming community.

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