Tobacco replaces crops, vegetables in CHT hills

Risking life unknowingly...A family engaged in processing tobacco leaves at Dighinala in Khagrachhari. PHOTO: STAR

Poor and illiterate farmers, lured by tobacco companies, now grow tobacco in large portions of plain lands in Dighinala, Manikchhari, Amtirang, Khagrachari, Laxmichari and Mahalchhari uoazilas. The farmers get assistance from tobacco companies to grow tobacco.

At least 2000 acres are under tobacco cultivation in Khagrachhari Sadar uazila alone, according to sources.

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At least 12,000 tonnes of dried tobacco are produced in Khagrachhari hill district annually, according to an official of a big multinational company who talked to this correspondent on condition of anonymity. About 600 kilograms are grown per acre.

He said the multinational company has 250 registered farmers who are given loan, seeds, fertiliser and even provided with shallow tube wells for irrigation under buy back contract. The total number of tobacco farmers in the district would be around 500, he said.

For tobacco cultivation, farmers use powerful fartiliser and insecticides like BSP, BAP, FMC, SOB, Fair- 85, Deconal and DDT powder which are very harmful for soil, environment and human health.

Talking to this correspondent, some farmers admitted that the insecticides are so powerful that they cannot go to the filed for three days after spraying those.

The insecticides increase the risk of incurable diseases like cancer and asthma, according to Khagrachhari Civil Surgeon Subash Das.

Agriculture official Abul Kalam Azad said use of such powerful insecticides and fertiliser greatly damages soil fertility. Lands may remain unproductive for 3-4 years if these harmful medicines are used in large quantities for consecutive years.

The illiterate farmers are cultivating tobacco as they are unaware of their harmful effects, he said.

This correspondent also talked to local environmentalists Pradip Chowdhury, Oman Faruq, Bitan Barua, Sathowi Aung Kala and Mondira Dewan. They claimed that 7000 tonnes of wood are used for drying tobacco in different areas of the district, which is depleting forest resources.