Drive launched to wean CHT farmers off tobacco farming

In view of health hazards and land fertility concern, the local administrations in the Chittagong Hill Tracts  (CHT) are encouraging the hilly farmers to cultivate sugarcane, fruits and vegetable instead of tobacco, reports UNB.
"We're sincerely trying to introduce sugarcane as an alternative crop to tobacco and motivating the farmers to adopt it…we think it'll be a viable option," Mominur Rashid Amin, the chief executive officer of Bandarban Hill District Council, said.
About the plan to popularise sugarcane cultivation among the hilly farmers, Mominur said the Bandarban Hill District Council has held a number of meetings recently to find a way how the tobacco cultivation could be checked.
He said they are providing training to the framers and asking them not to cultivate tobacco as it brings harm to health apart from affecting the land fertility. "We're also providing training to headmen and local leaders to motivate farmers to cultivate sugarcane or other crops instead of tobacco," Mominur added.
According to the World Health Organisation, tobacco farming leaches nutrients from the soil and prevents sustainable agriculture.
"We've decided to sign an agreement with Bangladesh Sugarcane Research Institute (BSRI), Ishwardi so that it extends its activities in Bandarban to help the farmers cultivate sugarcane in the CHT," Mominur said.
Attracted by higher returns, the CHT farmers have in recent years displayed a propensity to cultivate tobacco in their croplands, ignoring health risks.
According to the Department of Agriculture Extension, some 28,000 hectares of land were brought under tobacco cultivation in Bandarban this year while 1,030 hectares in Khagrachhari and about 1,000 hectares in Rangamati.
Mominur Rashid said, "Now we're taking steps so that tobacco farmers cannot cultivate tobacco on their agricultural lands without permission from the Hill District Council."
He said the council sent a proposal to the Ministry of CHT Affairs on April last requesting it to make it mandatory to take permission from the district council for tobacco cultivation.
About the reason behind the growing tobacco cultivation in the CHT, he said hilly farmers usually cultivate banana, papaya, ginger, pineapple, wood apple and other crops, but they do not get fair prices of their produces and that has prompted many to switch over to tobacco farming. "If we can ensure the fair prices of their agricultural products, they'll quit tobacco farming."