Jhenaidah Correspondent :
When the hazardous tobacco farming is increasing throughout the country, it has been reducing in Jhenaidah gradually.
The area of operation was reduced to 795 hectares against 925 hectares.
Movement against tobacco with the task force committee actions, concern citizens, anti tobacco media alliance members and discourage for tobacco farming by the department of agriculture extension were mainly liable for reducing the tobacco farming in the district, said the agriculture related department officials.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources in Jhenaidah said, the farmers of the district had replayed the tobacco with onion, wheat, lentil and some other crops in six upazilas of the district.
The sources said, the farmers of Jhenaidah Sadar upazila brought 455 hectares, Kaliganj farmers brought 15 hectares, Moheshpur farmers brought 50 hectares, Sailkupa farmers brought 115 hectares and Harinakundu farmers brought 150 hectares of land while the farmers of Kotchandpur Upazila avoided the farming of tobacco in the current season.
Some farmers of Kirtinagar village under Sailkupa upazila in Jhenaidah when asked said, most of the farmers of the village either have stopped or reducing the tobacco farming, or reduced the area of operation for tobacco considering the health of the human and the continuous affect of the tobacco on soil health. The farming of tobacco might be stopped fully within a few years, they said.
Sheikh Sazzad Hossain, Upazila Agriculture Officer of Kotchandpur when contacted said, the farmers of his upazila had stopped tobacco farming with cotton farming for past few years. The farmers of the upazila were conscious about the health of the human being as well as soil health.
Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension in Jhenaidah Shah Mohammad Akramul Haque when contacted said, the DAE, District Task Force Committee, concern citizens and ATMA members have been playing significant roles to discourage the farmers for refraining from farming of the hazardous tobacco.
As the farmers have been learning the merits and demerits of the tobacco, have been discouraged to cultivate alternative profitable crops like lentil, wheat, onion and some other crops suitable for them.
The DAE official said, the field level staffs of the department were advised to motivate the farmers for alternative crops instead the hazardous tobacco on their plots. Further, no fertilizer has been supplied among the tobacco farmers as a part of their anti tobacco movement initiated by the government. The district is expected to be free from the tobacco within next five years; the deputy director expressed his hope.
