Farmers face loss cultivating hybrid rice

NOAKHALI, Apr 16 (bdnews24.com): Thousands of farmers have been struggling to stomach a massive crop loss of hybrid rice 'Jhalak' in Noakhali district. The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in the district said, 'Jhalak' was cultivated on 1,665 hectares of land, of which crops of 465 hectares were entirely ruined and that of the rest partially. DAE officials and importer of Chinese-origin Jhalak paddy seed, Energypac Agro Ltd, blamed fluctuating temperature and blast disease for the debacle. The officials said the district's Boro rice production target would fall short by at least 2,000 tonnes this season due to the setback. DAE officials said a black spot appeared in the middle of the plant leaves after it was affected by blast disease, which finally causes the flower-spikes to die. Farmers said Jhalak rice cultivation started in the district last monsoon with farming on only 12 hectares. A high yield made the other farmers interested. The farmers bought a kilogram of Jhalak seeds at Tk 250-300. They said growth of the rice plants was good until the flower-spikes started drying. Farmers alleged that the agriculture department and the seed importer did not listen to them when they had sought their help on sensing the impending trouble. Abul Kashem, a farmer of Kasherkhil of Sonaimuri Upazila, told the news agency that most flower-spikes of the paddy plants on his 90-decimal land dried. He used insecticides but to no avail. "The paddy harvest on the land provides my six-member family with food for 10 months a year. Last year I got 20 mounds rice but this year I could not hope for 20 kilograms." Babul Mia, a share-cropper of Barpara, said he cultivated Jhalak rice on 3.4 acres of land taking Tk 50,000 loans from different non-government organisations. Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) deputy director Ruhul Amin, however, held Energypac Agro responsible for the loss of the farmers.