Drought like situation, other problems may hit aman cultivation in Dinajpur

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DINAJPUR, Aug 9 (UNB): When a major part of the country is under floodwater, a drought like situation is hampering aman cultivation in the district this season.
Most of the croplands in the district have become dry due to lack of rainfall. Moreover, the farmers could not irrigate their land properly due to frequent load shedding.
Farmers said aman cultivation might be hampered this season due to shortage of rainfall, frequent load shedding and crisis of fertilizer and pesticides.
According to the farmers, they need 30 kgs of urea for cultivating one bigha of land. But they have to stand in the long queue for 10 kgs of urea, being distributed in the rationing system, from the early morning.
Meanwhile, farmers of the remote areas are also using low quality pesticides on their land, which is destroying the fertility of the soil.
Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) sent sample of 33 pesticides of 12 companies to laboratory in Dhaka recently. After necessary testing, the laboratory asked DAE here to take action against the sale of low quality pesticides in the district.
They also sent a letter to the companies to withdraw their pesticide from the markets but those are rampantly being sold in Dinajpur, Thakurgaon and Panchagarh districts at present threatening the aman production.
"If the farmers of the district fail to achieve the target of aman cultivation, the country will face food scarcity", food experts here said.