Low paddy prices impel farmers to cultivate tobacco in Lalmonirhat

The low paddy prices and the increasing prices of diesel, fertilisers and other inputs for paddy cultivation have made famers of this district frustrated, impelling them to cultivate tobacco.

In the past few decades, thousands of farmers across the district have been cultivating the harmful cash crop in lieu of paddy for the lucrative returns. Besides, the hikes in the prices of electricity and diesel by the government from time to time have increased the cost of agriculture, making farmers frustrated. This has also discouraged paddy farming.

Many farmers have dramatically changed their economic status by cultivating tobacco as a cash crop.

The cost of tobacco cultivation is lower than that of other crops like potato and paddy but it often yields handsome returns. That is why tobacco cultivation is continuing unabated in the district. Apart from this, many well-known local and foreign tobacco manufacturing companies of the country are now providing agro inputs like fertilisers and other support to the farmers.

After the harvesting of T-Aman, representatives of tobacco companies started approaching the farmers. They provide technical support for preparing quality seed-beds among the registered farmers of this area. They give all-out support to the farmers till the harvesting period on the condition that after the produced tobacco leaves  are cut, they would have to be sold to the companies’ local purchase centres. That is why many farmers are now interested in cultivating tobacco compared to other traditional crops.

In five upazilas of the district, one can easily see tobacco fields for mile after mile next to the Lalmonirhat-Burimari highway. Farmers as well as their family members—who include school-going children—work in tobacco fields to minimise the cost of cultivation.

Following the boom in tobacco cultivation in the district, many renowned tobacco companies have opened their local purchase centres at different places of Aditmari and Hatibandha upazilas of the district. Different cigarette, bidi and gool manufacturing companies purchase tobacco leaves in local markets and send the quality leaves to other parts of the country and abroad for higher prices.

Many farmers admitted that they cultivate tobacco as they get fair prices since they have incurred losses while cultivating paddy over many years. Even the cost of production has not been recovered in the past few years.

But tobacco cultivation has benefited farmers. Most farmers know about the deleterious effects of tobacco on health and the environment but they are only interested in the lucrative prices. Tobacco companies are making tidy profits from selling leaves but they are not performing their social responsibilities towards the farmers properly.

Thousands of farmers and their families, who are engaged in tobacco farming, are facing health risks. Many of them suffer from bronchial diseases and other tobacco-related health hazards. Women and children are directly involved in tobacco farming. From seed planting to harvesting, all housewives and children directly provide support in the tobacco fields. Most woman in these areas are being afflicted with various tobacco-related diseases as year after year they are breathing in the dust of tobacco leaves from the fields.

However, no noticeable steps have been taken so far—such as hospitals or health check-up camps, health insurance and other medical facilities—by the companies.

Chittoranjon Roy, a farmer of Vadai village, complained that the cost of paddy is becoming abnormal day by day and, so, farmers are incurring losses every year. He, too, has cultivated tobacco on his 1.5-bigha plot of land. Tarikul Islam, a farmer of Sarpukur village under Aditmari, said he has cultivated tobacco on 7 bighas (1 bigha=27 decimals) of land this year. He added that Tk. 7,000 to 8,000 is spent on each bigha till the time of harvesting. If production is good, six to eight maunds of tobacco are produced, which fetch a minimum price of Tk. 18,000 to 20,000. If the prices are good, then the returns can be as much as Tk 22,000 to 25,000.

According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) of Lalmonirhat, farmers have so far cultivated tobacco on 7,000 hectares. Farmers will plant tobacco plants till the end of December, it added. Farmers had cultivated 9,100 hectares last year.

Though different motivational programmes have been undertaken among farmers to discourage tobacco cultivation, very little has actually been achieved. “If the government ensures fair prices for paddy, potato, maize and other crops, only then would the harmful practice of tobacco cultivation be curtailed, otherwise not,” iterated a district agriculture official.

 

Low paddy prices impel farmers to cultivate tobacco in Lalmonirhat

The low paddy prices and the increasing prices of diesel, fertilisers and other inputs for paddy cultivation have made famers of this district frustrated, impelling them to cultivate tobacco. In the past few decades, thousands of farmers across the district have been cultivating the harmful cash crop in lieu of paddy for the lucrative returns. Besides, the hikes in the prices of electricity and diesel by the government from time to time have increased the cost of agriculture, making farmers frustrated. This has also discouraged paddy farming. Many farmers have dramatically changed their economic status by cultivating tobacco as a cash crop. The cost of tobacco cultivation is lower than that of other crops like potato and paddy but it often yields handsome returns. That is why tobacco cultivation is continuing unabated in the district. Apart from this, many well-known local and foreign tobacco manufacturing companies of the country are now providing agro inputs like fertilisers and other support to the farmers. After the harvesting of T-Aman, representatives of tobacco companies started approaching the farmers. They provide technical support for preparing quality seed-beds among the registered farmers of this area. They give all-out support to the farmers till the harvesting period on the condition that after the produced tobacco leaves are cut, they would have to be sold to the companies local purchase centres. That is why many farmers are now interested in cultivating tobacco compared to other traditional crops. In five upazilas of the district, one can easily see tobacco fields for mile after mile next to the Lalmonirhat-Burimari highway. Farmers as well as their family memberswho include school-going childrenwork in tobacco fields to minimise the cost of cultivation. Following the boom in tobacco cultivation in the district, many renowned tobacco companies have opened their local purchase centres at different places of Aditmari and Hatibandha upazilas of the district. Different cigarette, bidi and gool manufacturing companies purchase tobacco leaves in local markets and send the quality leaves to other parts of the country and abroad for higher prices. Many farmers admitted that they cultivate tobacco as they get fair prices since they have incurred losses while cultivating paddy over many years. Even the cost of production has not been recovered in the past few years. But tobacco cultivation has benefited farmers. Most farmers know about the deleterious effects of tobacco on health and the environment but they are only interested in the lucrative prices. Tobacco companies are making tidy profits from selling leaves but they are not performing their social responsibilities towards the farmers properly. Thousands of farmers and their families, who are engaged in tobacco farming, are facing health risks. Many of them suffer from bronchial diseases and other tobacco-related health hazards. Women and children are directly involved in tobacco farming. From seed planting to harvesting, all housewives and children directly provide support in the tobacco fields. Most woman in these areas are being afflicted with various tobacco-related diseases as year after year they are breathing in the dust of tobacco leaves from the fields. However, no noticeable steps have been taken so farsuch as hospitals or health check-up camps, health insurance and other medical facilitiesby the companies. Chittoranjon Roy, a farmer of Vadai village, complained that the cost of paddy is becoming abnormal day by day and, so, farmers are incurring losses every year. He, too, has cultivated tobacco on his 1.5-bigha plot of land. Tarikul Islam, a farmer of Sarpukur village under Aditmari, said he has cultivated tobacco on 7 bighas (1 bigha=27 decimals) of land this year. He added that Tk. 7,000 to 8,000 is spent on each bigha till the time of harvesting. If production is good, six to eight maunds of tobacco are produced, which fetch a minimum price of Tk. 18,000 to 20,000. If the prices are good, then the returns can be as much as Tk 22,000 to 25,000. According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) of Lalmonirhat, farmers have so far cultivated tobacco on 7,000 hectares. Farmers will plant tobacco plants till the end of December, it added. Farmers had cultivated 9,100 hectares last year. Though different motivational programmes have been undertaken among farmers to discourage tobacco cultivation, very little has actually been achieved. If the government ensures fair prices for paddy, potato, maize and other crops, only then would the harmful practice of tobacco cultivation be curtailed, otherwise not, iterated a district agriculture official.