Cattle rustlers damage crops in Rajshahi

RAJSHAHI, Jan 10: Standing crops of several hundred acres of land have been damaged while smuggling cattle head through Kalmudanga frontier village under Sapahar upazila.

The crops include lentil, gram, mustard, peanut and potato. The owners of the land as well as share croppers of those crops were incurring loss worth millions of taka due to such crop damage.

Local farmers, however, expressed disappointment at the silent role of law enforcement agency members at the border to check smuggling of cattle heads.

According to sources, to cope with the crop loss due to flood during last year, farmers of Sapahar and other upazilas of Naogaon and Rajshahi district, sowed various Rabi crops including mustard, lentil, onion, gram and potato in their fields during the current winter season.

But, their hope for a good crop production has been dashed due to the smuggling of a large number of bulls and buffaloes through their fields damaging standing crops.

Farmers alleged that they approached the local BOP camp at Kalmudanga, but to no avail.

Recently a number of journalists from Sapahar visited Kalmudanga frontier village to see the loss of crops due to driving the smuggling cattle heads through their fields.

They also talked with a number of farmers of the village.

While contacted over mobile phone, local BGB camp commander Nayek Subedar Nurul Amin refuted the allegation of the farmers.

Local Union Parishad Chairman Mukul Mia admitted the genuineness of farmers' claim.

A BSS report adds: Honey farming has gained popularity in the region including its vast Barind tract as many people attained success through commercial harvesting of honey.

Honey farming is being expanded gradually at many new areas contributing a lot towards employment generation besides boosting honey production.

Ataur Rahman, a farmer of Namajgram village under Godagari Upazila, remained involved in honey harvesting in mustard field since 2000. In the initial stage, he gained profit through setting up ten boxes that encourages him to enhance the number of boxes in the following years.

In this season, he has set up 250 boxes in different areas. "I have harvested 15 kilograms of honey from every box in last 12 days", Ataur Rahman said. He earns more than Tk 0.7 million every winter season through his commercial honey harvesting.

"Honey harvesting makes me income-generator and self-confident," said Ashraful Islam Sumon, another farmer of Hasnabad village under Godagari Upazila, adding that he has collected 12 kilograms of honey from every box in last 11 days.

"I got 35 mounds of honey from my 63 bee-colonies in Borobilla area under Paba upazila. I sold twelve mounds to locals. Now I am waiting to sell the rest to a company at a good price," said Habibur Rahman Babu, a farmer in Darusha village under the same upazila.