COX'S BAZAR, Mar 12: Despite its various adverse effects on both agriculture and environment, farmers in Cox's Bazar are increasingly turning to tobacco cultivation instead of vegetables.
Insiders said in the current season, tobacco has been cultivated on 680 hectares of land in Chakaria and Ramu upazilas of the district.
Farmers are increasingly getting interested to cultivate tobacco due to some lucrative offers and logistical support provided by the tobacco companies, the sources added.
Due to extensive farming of tobacco, fertility of the agricultural land is being lost.
The toxic components of tobacco endanger human health, especially child health, mostly resulting in cancer. In addition, use of toxic pesticides and effects of tobacco nicotine pollute the river water, due to which the reproduction of fish in the rivers surrounding the tobacco fields has decreased.
Locals said some unscrupulous tobacco companies are encouraging tobacco cultivation by misleading farmers.
These companies tempt the farmers into cultivating tobacco by offering them different benefits including financial assistance, and fertilisers, seeds and other agri inputs.
Meanwhile, a considerable number of farmers are opting for tobacco cultivation because it is a capital-free business offering a quicker cash income.
A field visit showed that tobacco has been cultivated on both banks of the Bankkhali River in the areas of Ramu Rajarkul, Moishkum, Gorjania, Napiterchar, Kawarkhop, Monirjheel and Fakhrikata in Cox's Bazar.
The plots where once vegetables were cultivated have now been taken over by tobacco fields.
The picture is same in Chakaria upazila where tobacco is cultivated in eight out of the total 18 unions. Tobacco is mostly cultivated in Bomu Bilchhari, Surajpur Manikpur and Kakara unions.
Tobacco is also being cultivated along the shoals and banks of the Matamuhuri River flowing through these three unions.
During monsoon, the banks of the river overflow and silt accumulates in the floodwaters. And most of that fertile land is occupied by tobacco. However, almonds, corn, mustard, vegetables, roses, sunflowers and boro are cultivated in the less fertile land around the river.
The people here depend on natural water. In that case, the Sangu, Matamuhuri and Bakankhali rivers are one of the most reliable sources of water, which is currently becoming unsafe, for the extensive farming of tobacco.
Fertilisers, pesticides and chemical components applied in tobacco fields come into the rivers and water bodies and pollute the waters.
Especially during the spawning season, fish lose their favorable environment for breeding due to pesticide-laden water.
Another concern is that the school attendance rate of children and adolescents in the relevant areas is decreasing day by day due to their involvement in tobacco cultivation and processing.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Cox's Bazar, the harmful effects of tobacco destroy fertility of farmland. Once tobacco is cultivated on a certain piece of land, other crops do not grow easily there. The poisonous impacts of tobacco threaten crop production.
Some greedy farmers get involved in tobacco cultivation every year during the dry season in the hope of higher profits, tempted by tobacco companies.
According to experts, all the processes of tobacco, from planting to cutting and drying, contain toxic elements.
Despite being aware of the poisonous effects, farmers are still continuing tobacco cultivation, lured by the extra profits offered by the companies.
Besides themselves, farmers are even using their own wives and young children in care of the tobacco fields. As a result, the incidence of various tobacco-related diseases, including cancer, is increasing.
Despite knowing the risks to health and the environment, many are unable to quit tobacco cultivation in the hope of extra profit.
According to local sources, although several private organisations have already worked in Cox's Bazar district to protect the balance of the environment and ensure safe food, there is no interest on the part of farmers to stop tobacco cultivation.
As a result, tobacco companies have been investing in tobacco cultivation every year by holding local farmers hostage and making different lucrative offers to them. Farmers say that tobacco cultivation is indeed harmful. But due to lack of family income, they are forced to cultivate it.
Cultivating tobacco fetches higher income than other crops. Therefore, despite knowing all the harmful effects of tobacco, farmers are more interested in cultivating tobacco than other crops in the hope of additional profits.
Jahangir Selim, a social worker from Kachchhpia area of Ramu upazila, said that despite knowing the threat to the environment and public health, farmers are unable to give up tobacco cultivation due to the loan assistance and temptations of the tobacco companies. The trend of tobacco cultivation is increasing day by day in Ramu.
Environmentalists allege that river pollution has increased due to the excessive use of pesticides and fertilisers in tobacco fields.
This is destroying the environment and biodiversity. In addition, reserved forests and trees of houses are being cut down to burn tobacco.
Ashish Kumar, deputy assistant agricultural officer of the DAE, Cox's Bazar, said, "Tobacco is very harmful to the environment. Due to its cultivation, soil fertility is lost. Once tobacco is cultivated on a piece of land, no other crop grows there."
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