Khulna (South) Correspondent :
Sesame farmers of Khulna have become hopeless as huge amount of sesames have been damaged in the fields due to heavy rainfall this year. 90 percent plantation of sesames were damaged
Agriculture Extension Department sources said, even a gram of sesame was not found in the weekly hats (Markets) of Batiaghata, Dumuria and Paikgachha upazila of Khulna district. Professional sesame traders are inclining to other business. Some traders became indebted as they did not get sesame and even there are no seed-sesame at their houses. Heavy rainfall from the very beginning of the sesame season became despair the farmers in respect of cultivating sesame, the only financial crop of these upazila areas.
Sources further said, sesame is cultivated on 7000 to 8000 hectors of lands in the district every year. But in this year the sesame was cultivated only upon 1920 hectares of lands.
Sesame is particularly produced in three upazilas- Batiaghata, Dumuria and Paikgachha in the district.
With a view to product developed sesame and earn a lot of foreign exchange, Khulna University (KU) authorities have been conducting activities at Jalma, Batiaghata and Gangarampur unions of Batiaghata upazila. Farmers in this area are inclining to cultivate black color sesame as its demand in foreign countries is a plenty of.
Rubayet Ara, agriculture officer of Batiaghata upazila said, Farmers in this region cultivate Aman paddy making delay and as such harvesting of the paddy was made in delay. But in the same fields, sesame planting is also possible.
“120 farmers were trained for farming sesame and farmers are being encouraged to cultivate sesame”, she said.
Sub-assistant Agriculture Officers of Batiaghata upazila Md. Mujibur Rahaman, Abdul Gaffar Gazi and Mohiuddin Biswas said, sesame farmers of the upazila became indebted.
Afsar Gazi, sesame farmer of the village Boyarbhanga told this correspondent that he has to compelled to bear the loss as his sesame was damaged which he was cultivated on 4 bighas of lands due to heavy rainfall.
Arun Saha, Shushil Bachhar, Suruj Ali of the same village also echoed with Afsar Gazi.
Wadud Mia, a sesame farmer of the village Hatbati in the same upazila said, Due to rainfall, his sesame cultivated on 30 bighas of lands, were damaged in the fields, all the farmers in this area became indebted and now they are suffering from despair.
Md. Nazrul Islam, Upazila Agriculture Officer of Dumuria said, at least 2000 sesame farmers were victimized as their crops were damaged due to inclement weather. They are now cultivating bitter gourds, ladies fingers and pumpkins with a view to reduce their loss, he added.
