Farmers in Chilmarí of Kurigram and Madarganj of Jamalpur are facing drought conditions during the current aman rice planting season, with fields drying and cracking because of insufficient rainfall. Growers are using shallow machines, electric pumps and, in some cases, deep tube-well water to prepare land, transplant seedlings and keep crops alive. They fear that a prolonged dry spell could reduce aman rice production.

In Chilmarí, about 7,450 hectares have been planted with aman rice, and water has dried up on about 50 percent of the land, according to relevant sources. In Madarganj, the cultivation target is 17,600 hectares and seedlings have been transplanted on 16,500 hectares, with the remaining planting expected to finish within the week. Some transplanted seedlings are drying up, while farmers say delayed rain has made timely planting difficult.

Farmers report rising costs for fertilizer, pesticides, labour and irrigation. One farmer in Madarganj estimated that costs could rise by nearly 50 percent, while growers put total costs at about Tk14,000 to Tk15,000 per bigha, including cultivation, planting, inputs, irrigation and harvesting. Agricultural officials warned water shortages can limit plant growth, reduce tillers, increase weeds and pests, and lower yields.