Smuggled fertiliser lowers tomato production in Rajshahi
Sunday, 5 December 2010
Our Correspondent
RAJSHAHI, Dec 4: Hundreds of tomato, potato and onion farmers of the district are incurring a huge loss by using smuggled, sub-standard Indian fertilizer and pesticides in their fields.
According to sources, the fertilisers like urea, TSP and gypsum produced in the factories of the country are often unavailable in local markets and cost of these fertilisers are also being high.
Farmers of Godagari, Tanore, Bagmara and Mohanpur Upazilas of the district are using smuggled Indian fertilisers of various brands which are comparatively cheap and available.
Without considering the effect of using those adulterated fertiliser, farmers of Godagari recently planted tomato in their fields by applying those fertilisers. But, most of the tomato farmers incurred a huge loss since the tomato plant did not grow well.
Tomato farmers of Godagari had recently organised a huge rally at Mohishalbari hat to protest against the supplier of the seeds of tomato, Syngenta Company, and blamed the company for supplying sub-standard tomato seeds to them. The farmers further complained, due to the sub-standard seeds, the tomato plants did not grow well in their fields.
Other tomato farmers who cultivated tomato in their fields were blaming use of adulterated fertiliser and pesticides was the main cause of hampering of growth of tomato plants and affecting of those plants with diseases.
A Syngenta company agent at Godagari informed, there was no problem with the tomato seed. In this connection he said, over 95 per cent of tomato seeds germinated and the saplings grew well but after transplanting those saplings in the fields, problems developed with the growth of tomato plants which is not the fault of seed supplying company but the fault with the farmers using adulterated fertiliser and pesticides.
Requesting anonymity, the agent of the company said, recently hundreds of tomato farmers gathered at Mohishalbari and protested against the seed supplying company. Even, local MP added fuel by ordering the peasants to drive away Syngenta company from Godagari and demanded a huge sum of compensation from them without any logical ground.
Moinul Haque, a tomato farmer of village Udpur under Godagari Upazila said, he has planted tomato in five decimal of land by using seeds of Syngenta and used Bangladeshi fertilisers and pesticides and he is getting a very good harvest.
Rejaul Karim, another tomato farmer of Premtali under Godagari informed, most of the tomato farmers who used adulterated Indian fertiliser and pesticides incurred loss in tomato production. He also said, the seed supplier should not be blamed rather the adulterated, Indian smuggled fertiliser and pesticides are responsible for faulty growth and fall in production of tomato in Godagari Upazila.
It is learnt from Mohanpur, Paba and Bagmara Upazilas that farmers who cultivated potato, betel leaf and onion by using adulterated Indian smuggled fertilisers and pesticides are also facing the same fate.
RAJSHAHI, Dec 4: Hundreds of tomato, potato and onion farmers of the district are incurring a huge loss by using smuggled, sub-standard Indian fertilizer and pesticides in their fields.
According to sources, the fertilisers like urea, TSP and gypsum produced in the factories of the country are often unavailable in local markets and cost of these fertilisers are also being high.
Farmers of Godagari, Tanore, Bagmara and Mohanpur Upazilas of the district are using smuggled Indian fertilisers of various brands which are comparatively cheap and available.
Without considering the effect of using those adulterated fertiliser, farmers of Godagari recently planted tomato in their fields by applying those fertilisers. But, most of the tomato farmers incurred a huge loss since the tomato plant did not grow well.
Tomato farmers of Godagari had recently organised a huge rally at Mohishalbari hat to protest against the supplier of the seeds of tomato, Syngenta Company, and blamed the company for supplying sub-standard tomato seeds to them. The farmers further complained, due to the sub-standard seeds, the tomato plants did not grow well in their fields.
Other tomato farmers who cultivated tomato in their fields were blaming use of adulterated fertiliser and pesticides was the main cause of hampering of growth of tomato plants and affecting of those plants with diseases.
A Syngenta company agent at Godagari informed, there was no problem with the tomato seed. In this connection he said, over 95 per cent of tomato seeds germinated and the saplings grew well but after transplanting those saplings in the fields, problems developed with the growth of tomato plants which is not the fault of seed supplying company but the fault with the farmers using adulterated fertiliser and pesticides.
Requesting anonymity, the agent of the company said, recently hundreds of tomato farmers gathered at Mohishalbari and protested against the seed supplying company. Even, local MP added fuel by ordering the peasants to drive away Syngenta company from Godagari and demanded a huge sum of compensation from them without any logical ground.
Moinul Haque, a tomato farmer of village Udpur under Godagari Upazila said, he has planted tomato in five decimal of land by using seeds of Syngenta and used Bangladeshi fertilisers and pesticides and he is getting a very good harvest.
Rejaul Karim, another tomato farmer of Premtali under Godagari informed, most of the tomato farmers who used adulterated Indian fertiliser and pesticides incurred loss in tomato production. He also said, the seed supplier should not be blamed rather the adulterated, Indian smuggled fertiliser and pesticides are responsible for faulty growth and fall in production of tomato in Godagari Upazila.
It is learnt from Mohanpur, Paba and Bagmara Upazilas that farmers who cultivated potato, betel leaf and onion by using adulterated Indian smuggled fertilisers and pesticides are also facing the same fate.