Who would encourage farmers to return to the cropland?

Sandwip island is like a country within a country. Just as the vegetables for the residents of Singapore and Brunei come from Malaysia, it comes from Jashore and Narsingdi for the people in Sanwip. This is because vegetable cultivation has almost stopped in Sandwip.

The amount of vegetables coming to the island through the Sandwip channel indicates how vulnerable the agricultural situation is in the area.

According to Prothom Alo investigations and the two main warehouses of Sandwip, at least 90 tonnes of vegetables come to Sandwip every day. That means around 33,000 tonnes of vegetables are brought to this fertile island every year from outside.

According to the upazila agricultural department, the total vegetable production in the island was 60,101 tonnes in 2023-24.

Before starting any debate as to whether the information was accurate or not, let’s consider if such a huge amount of vegetables can be produced from just 7 per cent of the farmlands in the island, what would happen if 50 per cent of the agricultural lands in the upazila could be cultivated?

The Sandwip farmers could make profit producing millions of tonnes of vegetables.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, local vegetable warehouse owner Md Dulal said his father started the business some 30-35 years ago. Although they would purchase a small amount of vegetables in the beginning, the amount increased exponentially over the last 15-20 years.

His statement reiterates the farmers who said the environmental crisis in the island emerged some two decades ago which intensified over the last 5-7 years.

The second part of this report sheds light on the crisis that the farmers have been facing in Sandwip due to drought, salinity problems, new diseases, untimely rain and natural disasters. It also tracks how the farmers alone face the impacts of climate change, and what is the role of the 18 agencies under the agriculture ministry in solving the crisis.

This correspondent was so surprised while talking to the farmers in Sandwip. So were the farmers. Many of them claim they never saw any officials from the agriculture ministry in their lifetime. They do not even know that there are some officials assigned by the government to look after the local farmers.

Farmer Joynal Abedin, 65, from the Mogdhara union told Prothom Alo, “This is the first time I came to know that the government has assigned some persons dedicated to local agriculture.” 

The deputy assistants of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) were not available in Sandwip to speak about the allegations. The DAE director general Saiful Alam was “too busy” at his office in the capital’s Khamarbari to talk to this correspondent.

However, director Sahinul Islam told Prothom Alo over the phone that there is an obligation for the deputy assistants to visit the fields to consult with the farmers at least four days a week.

Sandwip upazila agriculture officer Maruf Hossain claimed the deputy assistants visit fields and advise the farmers at least three days a week. They are sitting with the local farmers for the remaining three days of the week.

However, 80 per cent of the farmers who took part in the Prothom Alo survey refuted his claim.

The survey states although 100 per cent farmers knew that salinity was rising, 98 per cent of them did not know how to deal with it. The DAE has completely failed to convey this information to the farmers in Sandwip.

When the farmers are trying to survive by sowing seeds thrice instead of once, the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust is implementing a project to light up the roads in Sandwip municipality areas. 

Although the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust financed a project of setting solar power road lamp posts in Sandwip municipality, which was implemented in 2020, it has not spent any money in the agricultural sector.

The Climate Change Trust Fund’s policy, formulated in 2010, has set its goals as, “Enhancing the adaptive capacity of people affected by and vulnerable to climate change, improving livelihoods and developing and implementing plans necessary to deal with long-term risks.”

Where the farmers in Sandwip didn’t get any help from this fund to cope with the adverse impacts of climate change.

Climate Change Trust managing director Md Rafiqul Islam was asked about the projects they had taken up to enhance the farmers’ adaptability amidst the changed conditions.

Although he said some agriculture related projects have been taken up, his response was not instantaneous. However, he said they take initiatives only for the projects recommended by the government agencies and departments.

Climate Smart Agriculture and Water Management project director Khandaker Muhammad Rashed Iftekhar said they are not involved in any project with the Climate Change Trust at the moment.

The farmers of Sandwip have appealed to get rid of the salinity crisis while talking to Prothom Alo. Some 197 of the 200 participants of the Prothom Alo survey identified salinity as the main threat to agriculture.

It has been learnt that the responsibility of salinity and soil test lies on the farmers though the agriculture ministry has 18 agencies under it to work for the welfare of farmers and agriculture.  

Asked about testing the soil and salinity, upazila agriculture officer Maruf Hossain said it was the responsibility of the farmers to collect samples and test it in Chattorgam’s Hathazari. They can only provide advice regarding collecting samples from the field.

However, the poor farmers say it is impossible for them to go to Hathazari to test the soil.

Highlighting the significance of soil and salinity test for the survival of the farmers, this correspondence asked DAE programme director Rezwana Rahman why it is not the responsibility of the DAE. She said, “The responsibility of the soil and salinity test lies on the Soil Resource Development Institute (SRDI), not on us.”

She could not provide a clear answer when asked whether the DAE coordinates with the SRDI in this regard.

SRDI in Chattogram division does not have any information regarding the salinity crisis in the lone island of Chattogram, Sandwip. The institute has not conducted any soil and salinity test there in the recent past, said SRDI chief scientific official in Chattogram Afsar Ali.

Asked whether they have any integrated programme with the DAE, he said they do not run any such programme.

The farmers of Sandwip use MOP (muriate of potash) fertiliser and TSP (triple superphosphate) to prevent salinity. However, the agriculture officer mentioned Gypsum to prevent salinity while speaking to Prothom Alo. But they failed to convey this message to the farmers. The agriculture department could not teach the farmers any proven method to prevent salinity either. Some 80 per cent of the farmers said the agriculture department officials do not go to them with the necessary information in this regard.

However, the farmers said they need adequate water to contain salinity. Farmer Chan Mia, 90, of Gachhua union said, “Salinity intensifies without water during droughts. It is not possible to contain salinity by carrying water on our shoulder from nearby ponds.”

There was no arrangement for irrigation in any of the fields. Even there are no ponds at one corner of any field like it used to be once. There is no government arrangement for waters either.

Visiting the area, the farmers were seen using water with mild salinity in the field after collecting it from nearby mosques or houses. They even use the mild saline water from canals to prevent salinity which is further increasing the salinity of the soil.

Speaking regarding the people responsible for thousands of Sandwip farmers cultivating without any irrigation facility, Muhammad Badiul Alam Sarker, chief engineer of the Minor Irrigation Department under the BADC, said, “Irrigation facilities should be ensured there even if we have to carry the cost of the contractor. I will talk to the superintendent engineer of Chattogram circle to take initiatives in this regard on an emergency basis.”

Superintendent engineer Md Nurul Islam said a new project had been taken to ensure irrigation facilities in Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar using surface water. “Sandwip will be attached to that project,” he said.

Some 94 per cent farmers from this drought prone saline land do not know the most suitable crop to cultivate on this land. The DAE distributed high quality seeds among the farmers of Sandwip in 2023. However, instead of the actual farmers, labourers and people who are not involved in agriculture got those seeds.

As such, the DAE should fail to run a feasibility study on the potentials of sunflower farming in Sandwip. However, the local agriculture officer claims that they have been able to confirm the bright potential of sunflowers.

Although some 10 farmers were given the sunflower seeds in Sandwip, only two of them cultivated sunflowers. The production has been better than their expectations. However, there is no information on what the remaining eight farmers did with those high-price seeds and nobody from the DAE inquired about that.

Those two farmers cultivated sunflowers in the central parts of the island. The production was quite good on their land.  But it still remains unknown as to whether these high quality seeds can yield a good production on marginal saline lands or not.

Asked about the goals behind distributing sunflower seeds among the farmers, DAE director Shahinul Islam told Prothom Alo, “The seeds were distributed among the farmers to verify the potentials of sunflower cultivation as part of an incentive.”

However, the Prothom Alo investigation found that many of the farmers tried to sell the seeds instead of cultivating. Some of them asked whether the seeds were edible. Many of those farmers who got the seeds didn’t even understand whether the sunflower was just a flower or a crop. They didn’t know what would be the final product if it was a crop.

Md Shahjalal was one of the two farmers who cultivated sunflowers. However, he is now struggling with the seeds.

He said he gets 250 grams of oil from 1kg seed with an additional cost of Tk 30 for grinding but no one is showing interest in this oil. That is why he is now in a quandary on what to do with the 320 kgs sunflower seed he harvested. Neither the agriculture department could help him in this regard.

Haramia union’s Md Mainuddin received the seed last year but he did not cultivate it. He asked Prothom Alo about the cultivation method as no one taught him that.

Sir, they don’t provide fertiliser, seeds and other equipment to the actual farmers, rather they give them to pseudo farmers - some 170 farmers out of 200 said this in response to a question during an interview conducted to understand how the advice and incentive of the DoA help the farmers.

Md Absar, 45, a farmer from Bauria ward No. 5 said, “The Department of Agriculture is more interested in pseudo farmers than the actual farmers.”

Though the government’s incentivised fertiliser, seeds and other agricultural equipment were distributed among the auto-rickshaw drivers, fishermen, jobless and other such people, the actual farmers were overlooked. Investigation revealed that the enlisted nonfarmers sold the incentivised fertiliser and seeds among the actual farmers.

Investigation revealed that some of the names had to be taken from the local leaders of Krishak League, an associate body of Bangladesh Awami League.

Sources said that practice has intensified now. Now the Krishak Dal, an associate body of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has become proactive to present the list of the “farmers”. 

Upazila agriculture officer thinks there is no respite from this practice. The list of farmers is taken from the union parishad chairmen and members.

When asked “who is responsible to identify the actual farmers upon getting the list”, the upazila agriculture officer said, “We don’t have anything to do here. We are bound to accept some names as we are under pressure. Otherwise, who would take the responsibility of our security during field visits?”

An agriculture officer, Maruf Hossain, who worked in an upazila in northern Bangladesh, also described that the cultivation in Sandwip is “facing an extreme situation of climate change”. He, however, could not provide any good news on his department’s preparation or adaptation with the situation.

The demands of the fewer farmers who are still trying to do cultivation in Sandwip are specific. They want to know the technique to cope with drought, salinity, pests and other disasters. They also demand their fair share.

When asked about their current professions, former farmers said some of them have been driving auto-rickshaws, some are catching fish, some are still jobless while some are working as wage labourers at trucks or elsewhere.

Around 40 per cent of the farmers informed Prothom Alo that they might shun agriculture if this situation continues. On the other hand, all of them firmly said they will continue farming if they get water for irrigation and taught strategies to fight salinity.

Dildar from Santoshpur said, “It would be better to remain jobless leaving agriculture if this situation continues. Where is the benefit of investment and labour? Added to these are the dangers and diseases. We can’t bear  those anymore.”

The agricultural extension department works to solve the problems of farmers and agriculture. But the officials of the department themselves could not determine what type of initiative can become a profitable and sustainable livelihood to the Sandwip farmers.

When asked about the implementation of law regarding fallow lands, Sandwip Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Reagan Chakma told Prothom Alo, “Though there is a section in the The State Acquisition and Tenancy Act, 1950, of handing over the fallow land to the government, that was never implemented in this country. The farmers or the owners of the land could be put under pressure by the law.”

When asked about how extreme situations caused by climate change are pushing farmers away from their agricultural livelihoods, and whether the local administration's executive can avoid responsibility, he said that he is "somewhat ready to take responsibility."

The UNO said, "I am unaware of any steps being taken regarding the agriculture in Sandwip in light of the increasing impact of climate change. I will try my best to address this issue as much as I can."

Climatologist Ainun Nishat thinks “someone has the responsibility to bring back the farmers to cultivation” even though climate change forces the farmers to leave the field.

According to him, though climate change is a global crisis, it affects the farmers most and other labourers from countries like Bangladesh. "The farmers will have to adapt with this change since we don’t have any mechanism to face this," Ainun Nishat added.

He said the farmers will naturally acquire the necessary capacity to adapt with the changes but the government organisations have the most important responsibilities of fixing the strategies and policies to help the farmers acquire that knowledge.

Nilanjan Bidyut, a former officer of a local NGO that works on food safety, told Prothom Alo the agriculture ministry has the responsibility of encouraging the farmers to go back to cultivation. The NGOs also have the responsibility. But thousands of farmers have been bearing the brunt of their attempts to avoid responsibilities or inability to realise the actual sufferings of farmers due to climate change.

*The report, originally published in the print edition of Prothom Alo, has been rewritten in English by Ashish Basu and Shameem Reza