'Kalbaishakhi' damages mangoes , Boro paddy in Patnitala
Ikhtiar Uddin Azad, Patnitala (Naogaon)
A 'Kalbaishakhi' storm struck the mango hub of Naogaon’s Barind region, causing significant losses for mango and Boro paddy farmers in Patnitala upazila.
On Sunday (June 1) late afternoon, a short but intense Kalbaishakhi storm hit the upazila, severely damaging mangoes and Boro paddy crops. In most mango orchards, fallen mangoes littered the ground, resembling a blanket spread by nature. Both small and large mangoes in many orchards were destroyed. The sight of fallen mangoes has left local mango farmers in despair.
According to the Patnitala Upazila Agriculture Department, mango orchards are cultivated on 4,327 hectares of land in the upazila. The unions of Shihada, Nirmail, and Dibor have a relatively higher number of commercial orchards.
Manik Hossain, a mango orchard owner from Shashail Madhyapara in Matindor Union, said, “On Sunday afternoon, the storm caused various varieties of mangoes in my orchard to fall and get damaged. Since most of the mangoes are unripe, they cannot be sold in the market, leading to significant losses.”
The storm affected mango farmers in areas including Matindor, Patnitala, Akbarpur, Dibor, Nazipur municipality, and parts of Nazipur Union. Affected farmers said, “This year, we had high hopes of getting good prices for mangoes. Due to the Kalbaishakhi storm, tree branches broke, and some mangoes in the orchards fell and were ruined.”
Patnitala Upazila Agriculture Officer Sohrab Hossain stated, “The storm has caused losses for many mango farmers in this upazila. The falling of mangoes in some orchards will lead to financial losses for farmers. If mango farmers can avoid further storms, they may still hold onto some hope. However, the Boro paddy harvest is almost complete, but some farmers have faced losses due to the storm.”
A 'Kalbaishakhi' storm struck the mango hub of Naogaon’s Barind region, causing significant losses for mango and Boro paddy farmers in Patnitala upazila.
On Sunday (June 1) late afternoon, a short but intense Kalbaishakhi storm hit the upazila, severely damaging mangoes and Boro paddy crops. In most mango orchards, fallen mangoes littered the ground, resembling a blanket spread by nature. Both small and large mangoes in many orchards were destroyed. The sight of fallen mangoes has left local mango farmers in despair.
According to the Patnitala Upazila Agriculture Department, mango orchards are cultivated on 4,327 hectares of land in the upazila. The unions of Shihada, Nirmail, and Dibor have a relatively higher number of commercial orchards.
Manik Hossain, a mango orchard owner from Shashail Madhyapara in Matindor Union, said, “On Sunday afternoon, the storm caused various varieties of mangoes in my orchard to fall and get damaged. Since most of the mangoes are unripe, they cannot be sold in the market, leading to significant losses.”
The storm affected mango farmers in areas including Matindor, Patnitala, Akbarpur, Dibor, Nazipur municipality, and parts of Nazipur Union. Affected farmers said, “This year, we had high hopes of getting good prices for mangoes. Due to the Kalbaishakhi storm, tree branches broke, and some mangoes in the orchards fell and were ruined.”
Patnitala Upazila Agriculture Officer Sohrab Hossain stated, “The storm has caused losses for many mango farmers in this upazila. The falling of mangoes in some orchards will lead to financial losses for farmers. If mango farmers can avoid further storms, they may still hold onto some hope. However, the Boro paddy harvest is almost complete, but some farmers have faced losses due to the storm.”
