RANGPUR, Sept 16: Ginger cultivators of Taraganj upazila in the district are apprehensive about expected yield of the spicy crop during the current season owing to Rhizome rot disease.
Growers alleged that they are not able to combat the disease despite spraying pesticides frequently. It decomposes the plants and withers the leaves of plants, farmers said.
Rati Lal, a ginger grower of Anantapur village said last year he earned around Tk 1,40,000 from ginger cultivation on 50 decimals of land. Encouraged by huge profit he cultivated the crop on 70 decimals of land this year with the hope to get more profit. But he has become disheartened as 50 per cent of his ginger field has been damaged due to the disease. The tip of the leaves turns yellowish and eventually resulting in withering and death of the leaf, he also said.
Expressing disappointment Ahidul Mia, another ginger cultivator of Dangapara village of the upazila said he spent around Tk 20,000 for buying seed to cultivate the crop on his one bigha of land. But most of the ginger plants have perished. He could not get rid of intensity of the disease though he sprayed pesticides repeatedly, he added.
Apprehending colossal loss many growers said they might not opt for ginger farming in next season.
According to upazila agriculture office sources, use of infected seed might be the cause of such disease. Due to prolonged waterlogging this disease may affect the crop, so farmers should cultivate it on high lands instead of low-lying lands, sources said.
Around 14 to 15 years ago tobacco was cultivated abundantly in the upazila. But the scenario had changed subsequently. Encouraged by the remarkable success of some ginger farmers many other peasants under the upazila began ginger farming in abundance. Thus ginger farming was increased in the upazila. Presently, its farming is increasing in five unions under the upazila. Around thousand of peasants are involved in its farming. This year ginger has been cultivated on around 1,400 acres of land in the upazila, sources added.
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