Farmers say good bye to tobacco

Wheat and vegetable cultivation is easier and more profitable than tobacco, many of the farmers declared happily at the 'filed day' held at Bangla Bazar in Ujan Teura shoal on Friday.

It was jointly organised by the District Agriculture Department, donor agency Oxfam, Dhaka-based NGO Padakhep (step) and local NGO Ekota.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

The day's programme included crop harvest, visiting HYV wheat and maize demonstration plots and a discussion meeting.

Several thousand farmers including women from far away areas attended the programmes.

The discussion meeting was held at Bangla Bazar Primary School ground. Tarek Hossain, Director General of Agriculture Extension Department (AED) was the chief guest at the meeting, presided over by Haripur Union Parishad Chairman Habibur Rahman.

Farmers representatives told the meeting that traditionally, tobacco was the main cash crop in Teesta shoal areas. It was labour intensive and the processing at home was hazardous for health. They had to go for this crop as there was no alternative. They could hardly go for one rice crop in a year because the areas are crisscrossed by tributaries of the Teesta.

Motivated by officials of AED and NGOs, some of the farmers experimented with high yielding varieties of wheat, vegetables and maize on small plots, which gave encouraging results.

The farmers pointed out that the areas are surrounded by tributaries of Teesta river and are vulnerable to flood and erosion.

During rainy season, people take shelter on flood protection embankments and suffer much for want of food and work.

All f the farmers said they earned more profit from vegetables, wheat and maize than from tobacco.

"I cultivated high yielding variety of wheat on five decimal land and hope to get about two maunds", said farmer Abdul Hamid.

"Vegetable cultivation is easier than that of tobacco", said Hyder Ali.

Rafiqul Islam who cultivated maize on a five-decimal plot by spending Tk 200 is expecting to earn Tk 1000. This is more profitable than tobacco, he said.

Addressing the discussion meeting, Tarek Hossain, Director General of Agriculture Extension Directorate, said the agriculture department alone can not do the job of motivating farmers and supplying them with inputs.

The government has given priority to the Char Jibikayon Project to change the life of shoal people but its implementation needs support of all concerned, NGOs in particular, he said.

The meeting was also addressed by, among others, Oxfam representative Kabita Bosh, Padakhep Director Rafiqul Alam, AED Deputy Director Abdur Rouf and Ekota Coordinator , Lutfar Rahman.