Aman prospect in Sylhet bleak

A frustrated farmer at his pest-damaged Aman filed in Sylhet Sadar upazila.. PHOTO: STAR

Vast paddy fields have turned yellowish due to attack by an insect locally called 'Pamri Poka' in the last few days.

Farmers were expecting a good harvest this year as there was no serious flood in the district, unlike in previous years. But pests have dashed their hopes.

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In Jaintapur, Kanaighat and Gowainghat upazilas, most of the crop fields except a few have been attacked. Farmers said they made futile attempts to save their crops by spraying insecticides repeatedly.

The badly hit areas in the Jaintapur upazila include Hajari Sengram, Telijuri, Gordona, Bagher Sarak, Chiknagul, Darbast, Sarighat, Banglabazar, Charikata and Thubang villages.

In Gowainghat upazila, Aman fields leave no hopes in Jafflong, Titkollir Haor, Alirgaon, Pashchim Jafflong, Rustompur Nandirgaon, Lengura, Fatehpur and Toakul unions, agriculture officials said while talking to this correspondent.

Measures taken up by the agriculture department to save the crops are too meager. Same is the situation in different areas of Kanaighat upazila, where Aman crops have been totally damaged by Pamri Poka, they said. The worst hit villages are Bara Chatul,

Durgapur, Satbak, and Chhotadesh. Large scale pest attack has been reported from Alongkari union in Biswanath upazila; Barohal, Kajalshah and Manikpur unions in Jakiganj and several unions in Beanibar upazila, farmers said.

When contacted, an official said yesterday that pesticides were sprayed in some of the affected areas under government

initiatives in Biswanath, Beanibazar and Kanaihghat upazilas.

It is not possible to spray pesticides in large scale due to poor supply and fund constraint. The current rains may reduce the pest attack, he said.