Farmers in Sunamganj are facing a severe financial crisis due to extensive crop damage from early floods and untimely rains, with many struggling under the weight of high-interest loans from local moneylenders and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Farmers claim that loans from moneylenders, high-interest lenders, and various microfinance organizations have become an unbearable burden.
They said repeated natural disasters, poor yields, and rising production costs—including harvesting, transportation, threshing, storage, and labor—have made it impossible to earn profits this season. They are now urging the government to provide interest-free bank loans and financial assistance until the next Boro cultivation season.
After enduring prolonged natural disasters and hardship, farmers are finally able to dry and store their harvested paddy after enjoying seven consecutive days of sunshine in Boishakh.
Threshing yards across the district are crowded with men, women, and children working to dry and process paddy. Due to a shortage of proper drying spaces, many farmers are using paved roads to dry their crops. Paddy soaked several times by rain is being repeatedly dried under the sun before storage.
Along the Sylhet–Sunamganj highway in Bahadurpur, farmers were seen carrying dried paddy home in sacks. Sharecroppers are dividing the harvest with landowners, handing over half of the total production after weighing the grain. Women are also actively involved in drying and processing work beside the roads.
Heavy rainfall and waterlogging submerged many traditional threshing grounds, forcing farmers to continue their work on roadsides under intense heat. Farmers and laborers constantly turn the paddy to ensure even drying and maintain grain quality.
The situation is common across all 137 haor wetlands in the district.
Abdul Qadir, a farmer from Bahadurpur village under Lakshanshree Union, said yields have dropped sharply this year.
“Last year we harvested 25 to 30 maunds per bigha. This year it is not even 15 maunds. Production costs have doubled, and every farmer is facing losses,” he said.
Another farmer, Shafiqul Islam, blamed poor drainage systems in flood protection embankments for widespread crop damage. He said continuous rainfall, lightning, labor shortages, transportation difficulties, and fuel crises have worsened farmers’ suffering.
Mohon Mia from Gobindapur village said he borrowed money at extremely high interest rates to cultivate paddy.
“Costs of planting, harvesting, transporting, and threshing have doubled. Selling the crop will not even cover labor expenses,” he said.
Monfor Mia of Ujani Gao warned that without government support, many farming families may be forced to leave agriculture altogether.
“If the government does not provide interest-free loans and year-round food assistance, we will have to move to garment factories with our families,” he said.
He added that excessive rainfall has also destroyed straw used as cattle feed, creating further uncertainty for livestock farmers.
District Agricultural Extension Department Deputy Director Omar Faruk said that by May 11, paddy had been harvested from 176,000 hectares of land. He expressed hope that if sunny weather continues for another week, farmers will be able to complete harvesting and storage operations successfully.
This year, paddy cultivation covered 223,511 hectares in Sunamganj district. However, waterlogging and hailstorms damaged nearly 22,000 hectares of cropland, affecting hundreds of thousands of farmers.
Farmers say they are not receiving fair prices for their produce and accuse middlemen, syndicates, and moneylenders of taking most of the profits while cultivators bear all the risks and losses.
