Shawdesh desk:

Cyclone Remal has damaged crops on 3,074 hectares of land in Jashore, according to the district Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).

Heavy rains and strong winds lashed Jashore throughout the day on Sunday under the influence of Cyclone Remal. The intensity of the rain and winds increased at night. Crops of various types were affected by the storm and rain.

According to information from the district agricultural office, vegetables, banana, mango, sesame, papaya, mug, chilli, jute, litchi, and lemon were affected by the cyclone. This season, 14,220 hectares of vegetables, 587 hectares of banana, 3,924 hectares of mango, 1,680 hectares of sesame, 559 hectares of papaya, 515 hectares of mug, 435 hectares of chilli, 23,550 hectares of jute, 641 hectares of litchi, and 148 hectares of lemon have been cultivated in Jashore.

Of these, crops on 3,074 hectares of land have been affected by the cyclone. This includes vegetables on 1,429 hectares of land, bananas on 67 hectares of land, mangoes on 114 hectares of land, sesame on 331 hectares of land, papaya on 26 hectares of land, moong dal on 36 hectares of land, chilli on 60 hectares of land, jute on 972 hectares of land, litchi on 36 hectares of land, and lemon on three hectares of land.

It may take another day or two to assess the extent of the damage to these affected crops, said DAE Deputy Director Dr Sushanta Kumar Tarapdar. He said that the first step is to determine how much land was affected by the cyclone. The extent of the damage is then determined from this.

Meanwhile, farmers say that this year has been a disaster for crops. With the exception of paddy, all other crops have been damaged. The intense heat wave for more than a month has caused extensive damage to fruits, especially mangoes and litchis. They have also lost their juiciness. The second round of damage has been caused by the storm.

Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer Hasan Ali said that the scaffolding of various crops, including bitter gourd, pumpkin, and bottle gourd, has collapsed. These scaffolds will have to be rebuilt.

Sellers fear that the heatwave has already had a one-time impact on the vegetable market and that the storm could have a second-time impact. As a result, prices could also rise.