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Farmers in Lalmonirhat and adjoining areas of the district are opting for tobacco cultivation being attracted by the prospect of its lucrative prices.
Though the Department of Agriculture has reservation against expansion of its farming, high prices of tobacco leaves are tempting the farmers to cultivate it in more areas of the region.
Tobacco has been seemingly a very popular crop in the region for decades despite the farmers knowing its harmful effects on human health.
To the members of a large number of families, tobacco farming is the main and only source of income.
Cost of tobacco production has always been lower than those of other crops, farmers said. But its cultivation is very laborious as the members of even an entire family have to engage themselves in plantation to cutting leaves.
Growers do not have to pay wage to the family helping hands. Even a small member of a family give hand in plantation, watering and caring of the tobacco plants, resulting in lower cost and higher profit.
For the last few years, price of tobacco is very high. At the same time its cultivation is increasing abnormally everywhere in five upazilas of the district.
Farmers are very happy with its lucrative prices. Many of them have changed their socioeconomic condition through tobacco farming.
Most farmers of this area have built new brick houses with their income from tobacco leaves. They are getting interest increasingly to cultivate tobacco.
Most leading tobacco companies are the buyers of tobacco leaves. Especially high quality Virginia leaves are mainly produced in this area. The soil here is very suitable for its cultivation.
Khitish Chandra, a farmer of Horidash area of Sharpukur union of Aditmari upazila, said he produced 16 mound tobaccos this year and made a handsome income.
He is happy with the price. Khitish also cultivates other crops like paddy and vegetables but tobacco farming is a must for every year.
"It gives us a healthy return than any other crops. This year I sold tobacco leaves at the rate of Tk202 per kilogram."
Like him, many other farmers produced tobacco only for a handsome profit.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), farmers have cultivated tobacco on nearly 10,000 hectares of land in five upazilas of the district but farmers' sources claimed the figure to be higher.
Bodruddoja, a local farmer and also a schoolteacher, said that he purchased 250 maunds of tobacco only for one month and earned Tk0.35 million (Tk3.5 lakh) selling it to a tobacco company.
Supendronath Datto, a social worker of Lalmonirhat, said the government should impose more tax on bidi and cigarettes to discourage smoking.
If smoking reduces, then tobacco farming will also reduce in the country, he added.
When contacted, Shaikhul Arefin, deputy director of the DAE, Lalmonirhat, said, "We are always motivating farmers not to cultivate tobacco. But farmers are doing it only for good price. In recent years, maize farming has taken the place of tobacco farming in many areas. If fair prices can be ensured for other traditional crops, tobacco farming will reduce gradually."