Farmers in the haor regions of Sunamganj are facing severe losses after incessant pre-monsoon rainfall submerged vast Boro paddy fields before harvesting could be completed.

Shamim Mia, a farmer from Baram Haor in Dirai upazila of Sunamganj district, said he needed just ten more days to harvest the fully ripened paddy cultivated on over three acres of land. Although harvesting began in mid-April, continuous rainfall quickly flooded the fields, forcing him to leave nearly half of his crop behind.

“I have rarely witnessed such heavy pre-monsoon rain in my lifetime,” Shamim said.

The haor region last experienced a similar disaster in 2017.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), more than 57,000 hectares of paddy fields across the Sylhet and Mymensingh haor regions have been completely damaged due to waterlogging.

In the Sylhet division alone, around 13 per cent of cultivated land was destroyed, though farmers managed to harvest nearly 65 per cent of the Boro crop as of now. This season, over 11.5 lakh hectares of land were cultivated in the two divisions.

The flooding has sharply reduced the value of half-ripened paddy. Farmers are now selling damaged grain to the local traders for Tk 400–500 per maund, compared to Tk 700–800 for fully ripened paddy. Many farmers say the lower prices are not enough to recover cultivation costs.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Sunamganj, Samar Kumar Paul, said the government has started procuring paddy at Tk 1,440 per maund from May 3, with the purchase programme continuing until August 31, while the farmers allege that only high-quality grain is being accepted.

Farmers claim embankments built to protect crops from river flooding trapped rainwater inside the haor areas, preventing proper drainage. As a result, paddy fields remained underwater for days, causing crops to rot and reducing grain quality.

Officials said the crisis was caused by continuous pre-monsoon rainfall rather than flooding.

This year’s Boro harvesting season was scheduled to run from mid-April to early May.

The situation worsened due to an acute shortage of labourers. Harvesting machines could not operate in flooded fields, forcing farmers to rely on human labour at high costs.

Labourers reportedly demanded between Tk 1,000 and Tk 1,500 per day, adding further financial pressure on farmers already struggling with crop losses.

To tackle the labour shortage, the Sunamganj deputy commissioner temporarily shut down local sand and stone quarries so workers could join harvesting efforts, a district official said.

Farmers are also struggling to dry harvested paddy because of limited sunshine. In many cases, stored grain has already begun to sprout.

Mohammad Jakaria, a sub-assistant agriculture officer in the Sylhet division, warned that inundation could spread further as water levels in the haor areas are expected to continue rising throughout the monsoon season, offering no relief in sight.

For many families, the disaster has eliminated their primary source of income. Farmers who usually sell surplus paddy after meeting household needs now fear they will barely have enough rice for their own consumption.

Samar Kumar said the government has introduced support packages for affected farmers. Severely affected farmers will receive Tk 7,500 and 20 kilograms of rice per month for three months, while moderately affected farmers will receive Tk 5,000 and 20 kilograms of rice. Less affected farmers will get Tk 2,500 along with 20 kilograms of rice during the same period.

However, farmers argue that assistance should continue until the next Boro season.

“The harvested crop will only feed my family this year. There will be nothing left to sell,” Shamim said.