Farmers in Madarganj upazila of Jamalpur are worried as chilli plants die of an unknown disease. The problem has appeared in chilli fields covering about five acres in the Binodtongi area of Koraichara union. The plants had begun to bear chillies, but one after another their branches are drying up and the plants are dying. Farmers have applied various fertilisers and pesticides but cannot save them.
They say no officer from the agriculture department has yet come to see the damaged fields.
A visit to Binodtongi found chilli growing across the fields, with the plants starting to fruit. Among them, the branches of some plants were drying up and others had died completely. Farmers have been applying fertilisers and pesticides on their own to save the plants, with no result, and they fear heavy losses before the harvest.
According to local sources, seven farmers in the area have grown the Bogi, Pure and Premium varieties of chilli on about five acres. They are anxious because the problem began just as the plants started to bear chillies.
According to the upazila office of the Department of Agricultural Extension, the target for chilli cultivation in Madarganj this season was 750 hectares. Chilli has already been planted on 1,050 hectares, 300 hectares more than the target.
Local farmer Abdus Samad has grown chilli on 46 decimals of land at a cost of about Tk 70 to 80 thousand. With the plants starting to fruit, he had hoped for a good harvest and for the money from the sale to ease his family’s finances. Now, with the plants dying, that hope is in doubt.
“The plants started showing signs of disease last week. We cannot save them even after applying various medicines. No one from the agriculture office has checked on us so far,” Abdus Samad said.
Another farmer, Enos Mondal, said: “I spoke to the upazila agriculture officer about this on the phone. But he has not yet come to see for himself.”
He said that when they reported the dying plants by phone, instead of looking into the cause, the officials asked them all sorts of questions and blamed the farmers.
The chilli fields of farmers Shahidul Islam and Nur Islam are also at risk. They say they cannot tell what disease has struck the plants, and the medicines they have applied on their own are not saving them. Unless the disease is quickly identified and action taken, they could face heavy financial losses.
Sub-assistant agriculture officer Rajib Mia said he is currently working on farmer cards in Sidhuli union. His main responsibility is the Khudda Jonail area of Gunaritala union, and he also has additional charge of Binodtongi. Because he covers several areas and is busy with the farmer card work, he has not been able to inspect the damaged fields, he said.
When contacted, Upazila Agriculture Officer Habibur Rahman asked the farmers to come to the upazila agriculture office. He could not be reached for comment on inspecting the damaged fields, identifying the disease or advising the farmers.
The affected farmers want the disease identified quickly and the necessary treatment and advice provided. Otherwise, they say, they will lose their hard-earned investment at the very start of the season and face heavy financial losses.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report