Farmers are now spending busy days drying paddy collected from fields submerged by continuous rain and waterlogging. Whenever there is sunlight, they spread the harvested paddy in yards, on roads, and in open spaces to dry. More than 11,000 hectares of paddy fields in Netrokona’s haor region have been submerged, although locals say the actual figure may be higher, according to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE). The department also claims that 71 percent of paddy harvesting in the haor areas has been completed.

Water levels in the Kangsha River at Jaria point in Purbadhala and in the Dhanu River in Khaliajuri continue to rise. Among the district’s 10 upazilas, farmers in Madan, Mohngonj, Khaliajuri, Kalmakanda, Barhatta, Kendua, Atpara, and Sadar have been the worst affected.

Although many farmers have managed to harvest their paddy with great effort, the crops are rotting in piles due to delays in drying and storage. In some places, the accumulated paddy is emitting foul odours near homesteads and storage areas, while in others, farmers are trying to dry it under limited sunlight. A large portion of paddy still remains unharvested in the fields, and due to labour shortages, it is being damaged by water and humidity.

This season, there’s a severe shortage of harvesting labour. Those available are demanding wages beyond the reach of average farmers. At the same time, a lack of modern agricultural machinery and mechanical failures is preventing timely threshing. This caused raw and semi-ripe paddy to spoil in the fields.

Several farmers said they had cultivated their land with loans, hoping for a good harvest at the start of the season. However, labour shortages and a lack of equipment at the final stage have disrupted all their calculations.

Sabuj Mia, a resident of Medni Union, said, “I had hoped to harvest 300–350 maunds of paddy. Now, because of the labour shortage, most of that crop is rotting before my eyes because it can’t be harvested. I never imagined that such hard-earned crops would be wasted like this.”

A degree of relief has returned among haor farmers in Netrokona as water levels in the Someshwari River, Dhaleshwari River, and Magra River have remained stable for now. However, water levels in the Kangsha River at Jaria point in Purbadhala and the Dhanu River in Khaliajuri continue to rise. As river levels remain high, the risk has not yet fully subsided.

Meanwhile, farmers are spending busy days drying paddy collected from waterlogged fields. Whenever the sun appears, they spread the harvested paddy in their yards, on roads, and in open spaces.

Farmers fear that further rainfall could worsen the damage. They are therefore working day and night to bring in the harvest as quickly as possible. They say urgent government intervention is needed to address the situation, including special incentives for affected farmers, easy-term loans and a suspension of loan instalments. They also warn that without a rapid supply of modern harvesting machinery, the situation could become more severe.

Local agricultural authorities said that losses could be partially recovered if weather conditions remain favourable. “But additional rainfall could deteriorate the situation again,” said Aminul Islam, Deputy Director of the DAE.

Member of Parliament Dr Rafiqul Islam Hilali has expressed support for affected farmers in Atpara, Netrokona. He visited several impacted haor areas and assured farmers of incentives during his visit.