Farmers in hills gain at cost of environment
Vegetable cultivation causes massive soil erosion in Khagrachhai hills
Farmers in Khagrachhari are making hefty gains by cultivating vegetables on slopes of hill, but at the cost of environment.
Tilling the hill slopes cause massive soil erosion, that may cause environmental disaster.
Officials of the department of agriculture extension said they are trying to make farmers aware of the problem, but they pay little heed to their advice. The officials however said farmers have not yet been provided with alternatives.
Vegetable cultivation on hill slopes is increasing rapidly as those are flood-free and brings lucrative profit for farmers, particularly in the rainy season, the officials said.
Sources at Manikchhari upazila agriculture extension department (AED) office said, due to favorable weather, farmers brought 2451 hectors of fertile lands on hill slopes under vegetable cultivation in the current season in the upazial.
District AED officials said summer and winter vegetables are cultivated on 3,723 and 6,000 hectares respectively in Khagrachhari.
After meeting the local demand, vegetables are sent to other districts, they told this correspondent. The current prices of vegetables are very lucrative for farmers, they said.
It is difficult to dissuade them from growing vegetables on hill slopes as they are now selling seasonal vegetables at high prices, the sources said.
The Daily Star correspondent visited at least 10 villages in Manikchhari upazila and talked to farmers.
Farmers said they get Tk 600 per mound of Kakrol against Tk 300 earlier, Tk 1800 for long beans against Tk 1200, Tk 1700 for snake gourd against Tk 12,00 and Tk 2000 for ladies finger against Tk 1000. Other summer vegetables are also sold at exorbitant prices, they said.
The AED officials said at least 15,000 farmers are involved in vegetable cultivation in Mmakinchharu upazila alone.
Farmer Abdul Karim in Gachchhabil village said, they are getting good prices this year due to flood elsewhere in the country. Last year, the prices were far lower and huge quantities were rotten due to bad communication system and lack of storages facilities.
This correspondent asked some farmers whether they know about soil erosion due to vegetable cultivation on hill slopes. They said they never thought about it and its possible environmental problem.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Mohammad Zahedul Islam said they are trying to make farmers aware of the problem and advise them to think alternatives like raising orchards and timber gardens.
T M Monjurul Islam, Deputy Director (DD) of Khagrachhari AED, said they are trying to evolve alternatives for farmers that will not cause soil erosion.
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