Farmers in Gaibandha face losses due to adulterated seeds and pesticides

Gaibandha is an agricultural district. Paddy cultivation is the main source of income for the farmers here. But for the past few years, the farmers of this region have been facing continuous losses due to adulterated seeds and pesticides. It has been alleged that an unscrupulous group is selling low-quality seeds and pesticides under the guise of famous brands. Farmers are facing losses by buying these without understanding. It is known that farmers in the district have been facing the same problem not only this season but for several consecutive seasons. Most of the pesticides and fungicides purchased from the...

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Gaibandha is an agricultural district. Paddy cultivation is the main source of income for the farmers here. But for the past few years, the farmers of this region have been facing continuous losses due to adulterated seeds and pesticides. It has been alleged that an unscrupulous group is selling low-quality seeds and pesticides under the guise of famous brands. Farmers are facing losses by buying these without understanding.
It is known that farmers in the district have been facing the same problem not only this season but for several consecutive seasons. Most of the pesticides and fungicides purchased from the market are not effective even after applying them.
Farmers complain that even using pesticides and fungicides of famous brands bought from the market is not yielding any benefit. Not only is pest control not being achieved, but the damage is increasing day by day. Not only medicines, but fake seeds have also become a big problem. Even though farmers buy seeds at high prices in the hope of a good harvest, they do not get the expected harvest at the end of the season.
An unscrupulous group is marketing low-quality seeds and medicines using packets from reputable companies. They are being misled by the attractive packaging and familiar brand names. As a result, on the one hand, production is decreasing, and on the other hand, costs are increasing.
Akbar Ali, a farmer from Gaibandha Sadar, said that if there are various diseases in rice, even if you buy medicine from a good company and spray it on the land, there is no result. Because an unscrupulous group is selling adulterated medicine in good company packages. Farmers are being cheated by buying these without realizing it.
Alamgir Hossain, another farmer from Ballamjhar Union in Gaibandha Sadar, alleged that ordinary farmers are being cheated year after year by buying medicines and seeds without understanding the packets and names. The fraudsters are doing all this due to the lack of proper supervision by the Agriculture Department.
Gaibandha Department of Agricultural Extension Additional Deputy Director (Plant Conservation) Md. Al Mujahid Sarkar said that the matter is being looked into seriously as such complaints have been received from different areas. Samples are being collected from various shops and tested. He advised not to buy seeds and pesticides from anywhere other than authorized dealers.
During the current Boro season, Boro rice has been cultivated on about 1,29,020 hectares of land in the district. The Agriculture Department has set a target of producing about 8.5 lakh metric tons of rice.