Bangladesh: Tobacco Farming Increases in Rangpur

Source from:  The Daily Star 01/06/2014

Cultivation of the harmful crop tobacco continues with increasing trend this season though its farming decreased during the past few years in Rangpur division, farmers and official sources said.
 
The farmers have extensively cultivated tobacco on the dried up riverbeds and charlands this season and plantation of tobacco saplings will continue till this month end during this 2013-2014 season in the region.
 
Horticulture Specialist of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam said the farmers were still showing interests in tobacco farming mainly due to more profits despite hectic official efforts to discourage its cultivation.
 
The farmers have so far cultivated tobacco on 14,221 hectares of land in Rangpur division, including 2,516 hectares in Rangpur, 240 hectares in Gaibandha, five hectares in Kurigram, 10,745 hectares in Lalmonirhat and 705 hectares in Nilphamari districts.
 
The farmers had cultivated tobacco on 17,828 hectares of land in Rangpur division during the last 2012-2013 seasons against only 12,696 hectares during the previous 2011-2012 season.
 
The farmers had cultivated the crop on 33,500 hectares of land during 2009-2010 and on 19,050 hectares during 2010-2011 seasons in the region, the DAE sources said.
 
Farmers Echahaq Ali, Aiyub Ali, Azizul Islam and Abdul Khaleque of Kathihara village in Rangpur said they had cultivated tobacco on 1.5 to 2.5 acres land this season like in the previous season to earn more profits than other crops.

"We cultivate tobacco as the tobacco companies encourage us directly or indirectly through providing necessary inputs, cost-free seedlings and incentives with an assurance of lucrative prices," they said.
 
Farmers Mokbul Hossain, Shamsul Haque, Abul Hossain and Yasin said they had cultivated tobacco on more land this season to earn more profits than cultivating other crops.
 
The farmers said they generally spent Tk 20,000 to Tk 22,000 for per acre of land in farming tobacco to produce 20 maund per acre to earn a net profit of over Tk 60,000 on an average.
 
However, they are desired to abandon tobacco farming through cultivating substitute profitable crops and sought necessary knowledge, technological support and assistance from the government and NGOs.
 
Associate Director (Agriculture) of Brac International (South Asia and Africa) Dr MA Mazid said the farmers could earn more profits by farming wheat, sugarcane and others in relay methods with intercropping of other crops using the latest technologies.
 
He said tobacco farming still posed a threat to cereal crop output, food security, human and soil health when the government has been conducting efforts to discourage its cultivation and use of all tobacco products. Enditem