Early rains on the haors: rice harvests at risk in Bangladesh

Farmers are trying to harvest the grains, which are not yet fully ripe, so as not to lose everything in the country’s “food cupboard”, where boro rice is the only major crop of the year. Authorities are concerned about the impact on food security. But people are pointing the finger at poorly planned embankments and blocked drainage systems that exacerbate the effects of the weather.

Dhaka (AsiaNews) - “Thehaor is submerged by rainwater and river water. I came to the field with my three children to harvest the rice. It is not yet fully ripe, but I am taking what I can get. If I don’t harvest it now, what will we eat?”

Nayon Sangma, a Christian farmer from Netrokona, describes with a voice full of despair the situation common across all the vast haor wetlands of Bangladesh. Premature flooding caused by heavy rains and river swells has submerged thousands of hectares of boro rice fields, bringing farming families to the brink of collapse. Districts such as Kishoreganj, Sunamganj, Netrokona, Habiganj, Moulvibazar, Khagrachari and parts of Mymensingh have been severely affected, transforming what was once known as the country’s ‘breadbasket’ into a desolate landscape.

Just a few days ago, the golden fields were swaying in the wind. Today, those same fields are under water, washing away a year’s work, hope and livelihood. Farmers like Nayon Sangma are harvesting half-ripe rice out of desperation, knowing the harvest will be meagre but fearing total ruin if they wait any longer.

In the haor region, boro rice is the only major crop of the year. It is used to pay for food, medical care, children’s education and debts. When the harvest fails, there is nothing to fall back on. “The ripe rice is rotting before our eyes,” said one farmer. “With a few more dry days, our granaries would have been full.”

According to official reports, around 172,000 hectares of cultivated land – nearly 38% of the agricultural area in the Haor region – have been submerged by rain and flooding from the hills. Fodder for livestock has also become scarce, exacerbating the difficulties.

The Department of Agricultural Extension stated that this season, boro rice was grown on approximately 455,153 hectares across seven haor districts, with a production target of 1.92 million tonnes. As of last Tuesday, around 282,195 hectares (62%) had been harvested. The remaining fields are at serious risk.

The authorities warn that the damage extends beyond individual farmers and threatens national food security. In 2017, severe flooding in this region destroyed nearly two million tonnes of rice, forcing consumers to pay high prices throughout the year. Boro rice accounts for around 21.5 million tonnes of Bangladesh’s annual production and is crucial to market stability.

Experts and local residents argue that this year’s disaster cannot be attributed solely to nature. For years, they say, warnings about unplanned embankments and poorly designed flood control projects have been ignored. Many embankments built to protect crops have instead trapped rainwater.

Local people say that, although landslides in the hills upstream did not cause major damage this year, prolonged rainfall led to severe waterlogging because drainage systems were blocked by dams. “The water simply had nowhere to drain,” said one resident.

Farmers say they have not seen destruction on this scale since 2022. Traditionally, the boro harvest takes place between mid-April and mid-May, but this year nature has shown no mercy. With riverbeds rising and the land sinking year after year, even moderate rainfall now causes devastation.

Those who managed to harvest some of their rice by spending more on labour are now facing another loss: low prices. Farmers complain that current prices are between 500 and 600 taka per maund (40 kg), well below expectations.

Fr Swapon M. Purification, a priest at Nobai Bottola parish in the Diocese of Rajshahi, told AsiaNews that the fall in prices has exacerbated the farmers’ suffering.

The crisis also highlights Bangladesh’s growing vulnerability to climate change. Excessive rainfall, floods and droughts recur almost every year. Despite this, the country remains ill-prepared. Environmentalists claim that development projects which ignore the local ecology often make the situation worse.

It was announced in parliament that the government will provide three months of assistance to farmers affected by the rains in the haor regions. Rice is vital for Bangladesh as it is the main staple food, providing the majority of daily calories and underpinning national food security, as well as millions of rural livelihoods.