Betel-leaf cultivation suffers setback in Bangladesh

Jhenidah, Bangladesh: A large number of betel-leaf farmers in six upazilas of Jhenidah district are frustrated. Betel-leaf is the main cash crop of Harinakunda, Shailakupa, Kaliganj, Kotchandpur, Moheshpur and sadar upazilas of the district. Some 30 per cent sweet betel-leaves of the country are supplied from these upazilas. For hundreds of years betel-leaf remained the main source of earning for the people of those areas.

But for the last two decades, betel-leaf farms (Baroj) of these upazilas are being attacked with a virulent disease,  locally known as ‘stem rot’ disease.

As there is no betel-leaf research institute in the country the disease has taken a serious turn and farmers are failing to contain it even after applying pesticides and germicide according to the suggestion of the local Agriculture Extension Department (AED) officials. During the last three years, more than 300 betel-leaf farms of the six upazilas had been completely destroyed due to the disease.

According to sources in the Agriculture Extension Department (AED) of Jhenidah, betel-leaf is cultivated on 1,625 hectares of land in the district. There are 25,450 betel-leaf farms on which betel-leaf worth over Taka 145 crores are being produced annually,  and over one lakh people belonging to some 20,000 families depend on it.

Of the cultivation, Harinakunda upazila takes the major part and at least 80 per cent in the district.

Some betel-leaf farmers of Harinakunda, Sadar, Shaila-kupa, Kaliganj, Kotchandpur and Moheshpur upazilas told this correspondent that the stem-rot disease has taken an  epidemic form in many betel-leaf farms due to incessant downpour and water logging.

They said when attacked with stem-rot disease, the leaves of the betel-leaf  plants turn red and later the entire plant dies. They further informed that many lands earlier used for betel-leaf farming are now being used for cultivation of vegetables and Rabi crops.

Shamsul Alam, 45, a betel-leaf farmer of village Narayankandi in Harinakunda upazila, said a betel-leaf farm covering one bigha of land would bring Tk. 1,00,000 a year, but due to stem-rot disease it is now difficult to get return of the money for cultivation of the betel-leaf. He said, the attack by viral disease is making the size of the betel-leaf dwarf and the price of those dwarf leaves are also very low in the markets.

Abdul Hakim, 60, of village Shinga in Harinakunda upazila, said, he had four betel-leaf farms some 10 years ago but three of his farms have already been destroyed and it is difficult for him to maintain only one farm.

He said, unplanned construction of embankment, roads and installations are causing water logging resulting in the attack by the disease.

A source in the Jhenidah Agriculture Extension Department (AED) said due to lack of awareness of the farmers, betel-leaf plants are being attacked with the disease. He said the stem-rot disease spreads fast during the rainy season but the disease is combated during the winter and summer.

The farmers can get rid of the disease by using selected insecticides by properly nurturing the plants and by keeping the roots and stems free from depositing water, he said.

Source: Daily Independent