Tobacco farming acreage increasing in Lalmonirhat

OUR CORRESPONDENT
LALMONIRHAT, Jan 06: Tobacco cultivation is increasing remarkably in the district and its adjacent areas creating health hazards as well as a concern for the agriculture.
Due to its relatively low production cost and lucrative offers made by different cigarette companies, the farmers are switching to the crop from many sustainable crops.
Several thousand farmers in the region have changed their socio-economic condition through cultivating tobacco.
Different cigarette and bidi manufacturing companies are motivating farmers to cultivate tobacco by making various lucrative offers.
Last year the price of one mound of Virginia tobacco leaves was nearly Tk6,000-Tk7,000 on quality basis.
Most of the farmers of the district made handsome incomes by selling their produced tobacco leaves.
In the current season, per acre cultivation of tobacco has increased in five upazilas of the district.
Talking to farmers, it was known that the high price of tobacco leaves has made them interested in its farming instead of any other crops.
Moreover, the general elections and the upcoming upazila and union parishad elections are also a reason behind increased tobacco farming.
Unabated tobacco farming is posing a severe threat to public health, food security and the environment as well.
According to experts, soil of the region is gradually losing its normal fertility because of the tobacco cultivation for decades.
Farmers are using various chemicals and fertilisers in the tobacco fields for better production, causing a reduction in soil fertility.
Due to excessive use of chemicals, fertilisers and insecticides in the fields,
fish resources in the water bodies are also in jeopardy. Ignoring the threats to the agriculture and food security, farmers are cultivating tobacco leaves only for lucrative income.
Despite discouragement from the Agriculture Department and various anti-tobacco platforms, farmers are continuing production of the unwholesome crop for long.
Day by day its cultivation is expanding into new areas.
Family members and even their school-going children are seen working as their helping hands in the tobacco fields for irrigation and other works.
Without using any safety gear, labourers, children and female workers are seen working in the tobacco fields.
Emdadul, a farmer of Palashi union under Aditmari upazila, told this correspondent that many renowned tobacco companies provides the farmers with financial assistance and inputs before plantation.
After harvesting, they purchase the quality leaves from them at a fixed price.
After deducting the given money, they repay the prices of their produced tobacco leaves.
Last year they got a good price for leaves; so farmers are cultivating tobacco on a larger scale this year.
Farmers often do not get the fair price for the traditional crops; so they become interested to cultivate tobacco.
Apart from this, production cost of tobacco is lower than that of other crops.
Dr Bipul Chando Roy, a public health expert, said there are a considerable number of elderly people suffering from asthma in the region and the key reason behind this is unabated cultivation of tobacco.
Dust of tobacco leaves is very harmful for lungs and respiratory system of the human body. It causes lung cancer and damages the respiratory system.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), famers have cultivated tobacco on 7,600 hectares of land in the district this season.
But farmer's sources said that the actual figure will be higher and they are also expecting a higher price of the crop.
Regarding the tobacco farming in the area and its bad impact on environment and related health hazards, Hamidur Rahaman, deputy director (DD) of the DAE, Lalmonirhat, said, "We discourage farmers and tell them about the health risks of family members; but because of the high income they are interested in tobacco cultivation." [email protected]