KHAGRACHHARI — Several farmers in Manikchhari upazila say they lost their potato crop to substandard seed, prompting the upazila agriculture extension department to launch an investigation after one farmer filed a written complaint.
The farmers said they bought ACI-brand improved potato seed from Prakash Bij Bhandar, a seed dealer in Manikchhari market, and planted it in their fields. Some seedlings sprouted, but most withered. When farmers raised the issue with dealer Dulal Chandra Majumdar, he berated them rather than resolving the matter, they said. With no other option, they filed a written complaint with the upazila nirbahi officer.
Abdul Sobhan, a farmer from the affected Purba Chengu Chara area, said he bought 60 kg of potato seed from Prakash Bij Bhandar and planted it. Most of the crop failed to sprout, and when he complained to Majumdar, the dealer threatened him. He filed the written complaint as a last resort, he said.
Md. Sumon Mia, another farmer from the same area, said he planted potatoes on one kani (40 decimals) of land using three maunds of seed bought from Prakash Bij Bhandar. Many of the seeds failed to germinate, and he is now worried about recovering his costs.
Ali Ahmed, a farmer from Eatlong Para in the same upazila, said he too bought potato seed from the dealer and planted it. He also planted seed brought from Cumilla. The seed from the dealer did not sprout well, while all the seed of another variety brought from Cumilla germinated, he said.
Assistant agriculture officer Tamim Aziz visited the fields after Sobhan’s complaint. The failure of the potato seed to fully germinate had left gaps in every row, he said.
Manikchhari upazila agriculture officer Zahir Rayhan said he had visited the farmers’ fields after receiving the complaint. He has summoned the owner of Prakash Bij Bhandar and a representative of the seed company to his office on Thursday, and an investigation committee report will be submitted to the upazila nirbahi officer based on those discussions, he said.
Manikchhari upazila nirbahi officer Tahmina Afroz Bhuiyan said the office had received a written complaint that farmers had been harmed by substandard potato seed. The upazila agriculture extension department has been tasked with investigating, and further action will be taken based on its recommendations, she said.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report