Dhaka, May 9 -- Farmers in Sunamganj are finding themselves unable to benefit from the government's Boro rice procurement drive, as untimely rains and flash floods have either washed away their crops or left the remaining harvest too damp to meet official quality standards.

The government's procurement policy requires paddy to maintain a maximum moisture level -- typically around 14 percent -- and be free of rot or sprouts.

After weeks of torrential rain and waterlogging that began in March and peaked in late April, farmers have been unable to dry their grain, with many reporting that their hard-earned harvest is already beginning to germinate or give off a foul smell.

For Rais Mia, a farmer in Dekhar Haor, the season has turned into a...