RAJSHAHI, Apr 11: Different varieties of hybrid seeds are now being widely used by the farmers of the country, posing a serious threat to the age-old, locally produced, indigenous crops and vegetables.
Sources said, the bid to introduce genetically modified seed, plant and food in the country would have a disastrous effect on health and nutrition of the people as well as on the environment.
According to sources, the country has already been flooded with an enormous number of hybrid seeds and plants which are being widely cultivated by the farmers. As a result many local varieties of fine rice, which were produced by the farmers for ages, have become extinct or on the verge of extinction.
Earlier, hundreds of various types of fine rice were produced in Rajshahi, Naogaon, Chapainawabganj, Dinajpur and Rangpur districts.
Agriculture Extension sources in Rajshahi informed, there were around 30,000 varieties of rice in the country, most of which have by now become extinct, even names of many of such varieties have been obliterated.
The Barind tract of greater Rajshahi and Bogra districts were famous for the production of fine rice. That rice had no match in terms of taste, aroma, quality and nutrition.
Now-a-days, the farmers of the Barind region no more cultivate genuine, local variety of Raghushail, Jhingashail, Paijam, Kalo Jira, Chini Modhu and hundreds of other varieties of rice.
The aromatic Basmati rice, an indigenous and prestigious variety of rice of the Barind region, was also cultivated by the farmers of the region for centuries.
But, in the absence of processing and marketing facilities, the farmers of the region abandoned the cultivation of Basmati. As a result, the cultivation of Basmati was ultimately grabbed by the farmers of Thailand, India and Pakistan, with the patronization of the government of the respective countries.
Not only for rice but also for cereals like mustard, gram, lentil, mungbean, maize, wheat and pulses of innumerous hybrid varieties are being cultivated widely in the country. Though the taste and odour of those hybrid cereals has been deteriorated, the farmers are interested to cultivate those crops because of a high production and harvesting rate and less crop loss.
Almost all the vegetables including brinjal, bitter gourd, potato, cabbage, cauliflower, potato, cucumber, lemon, gourd, bean, okra, papaya, ridge gourd, snake bean, green chilli, ginger, onion, garlic, tomato, radish and pumpkin which are now available in the country belong to the hybrid variety.
It is no wonder that these hybrid varieties of vegetables do not grow without excessive use of chemical fertilisers, pesticides and insecticides.
The Chinese variety of brinjal needs a daily spraying of toxic pesticides for its healthy growth. It is impossible to produce hybrid varieties of tomato without the use of excessive chemical fertilisers and pesticide. The early varieties of cabbage, cauliflower, potato and other winter vegetables also require a huge application of chemical fertilisers and pesticides for their growth.
Now-a-days, the local varieties of red radish, bitter gourd, lentil, gram, mungbean, gourd and tomato are on the verge of extinction.
Doctor Kausar Hossain, a physician, said consumption of hybrid vegetables is highly injurious to health. The hybrid varieties of brinjal, okra, tomato, radish, onion, garlic, bean, ginger, gourd and onion lack taste, aroma and nutritive value.
The doctors and the elderly people are of the opinion that the use of unlimited chemical fertilisers and pesticides has made all the crops and vegetables of the country toxic.
Doctor Kausar further mentioned, even 35 to 40 years ago when there was no use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, people had no idea what was acidity, hypertension, cancer and many other complex diseases.
He further said, indiscriminate use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides in the field and on the plants has changed the qualitative value of crops and vegetables and thus consumption of those is posing a threat for human health and environment.
Mustafizur Rahman Khan, a senior journalist and president of SAARC People's Link Forum in Rajshahi, said using of hybrid seed is not allowed in many countries of the world. He said 'one-time use' hybrid seeds is making the farmers hostages to the multinational companies who produce and market those seeds. Though it is claimed that the hybrid seeds ensures 20 per cent to 30 per cent more yield than the high yielding variety (HYV) seeds, the price of hybrid seed was 15 to 20 times more than those of HYV seeds. For example, the price of hybrid rice seed was Tk 250 to Tk 350 per kg as against Tk 20 to Tk 30 for the HYV seeds.
The cost of production of hybrid crop and vegetables are also more than those of HYV crop because hybrid crops and vegetables require a round the clock care, more fertiliser, water, pesticides and weeding.
By not developing hybrid seeds locally, the multinational companies are making the farmers of the country dependent on them which would pose a disaster for our agriculture.
However, the government of our country has directed the agro-scientists to develop hybrid seeds at our own laboratories and within a short span of time, our scientists have been able to develop our own hybrid seeds and thus relieving our farmers from the grips of the multinational companies.
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