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Crop loss turning rural people poorer in Jamalpur

From Our Correspondent
JAMALPUR. Oct 18: The economic condition of rural people in Jamalpur district has been crippled. The reason are poor crop production for the last few consecutive years, lack of industrialisation, decreased crop production due to paucity of seeds, fertilizers, irrigation facilities and persistent drought.
Marginal fanners need agri inpute Including bank loan.
The total population of the district is about 18 lakh. Only five per cent are engaged in business and other services while 85 per cent are dependent on agriculture. Poor people who live by cultivation are forced to sell their produce at nominal price.
A recent survey reveals that 65 per cent of village people llve below proverty line. They have to sell out their hard earned produce in advance at the rate of Taka 80 to Taka 100 per maund to the local money lenders to maintain their livelihood.
Taking full advantage of the situation, the local money lenders are doing brisk business by granting loan at high rate.
A large number of landless people who lost their work as agricultural labourers are passing days half-fed or sometimes unfed. They are forced to sell their pet animals and utensils for survival. It has been leamt. 50 per cent of poor farmers have already sold their domestic animals.
The conditions of sugarcane growers is worse. They have incurred heavy losses this year due to lack of marketing facilities. About 50 per cent sugarcane produced in the district wasted.
In different char areas of Kamalpur district people earn their livelihood by selling sweet potato. But the farmers have oeen facing problems due to low price of their produce.
Sweet potato is being sold at Tk 50 to 60<>er maund now.
A large number of fishermen have become Jobless following
sharp decline in fish production.
Most of the heels and rivers have silted up causing havoc to pisciculture during they dry season.
A huge Quantity of rice and wheat have been sanctioned for uplift works under Food for Works Programme (FWP). But massive irregularities and misappropriation are allegedly.
The villagers being forced to sell their poultry birds and other movable property to meet up their exigency.
Natural calamities like flood, cyclone, drought, excessive rainfall and pest attack have been damaging crops almost every year leaving rural poor in distress.