Vegetable cultivation has decreased alarmingly because farmers in the district find tobacco cultivation more profitable.

Tobacco is being cultivated on a large scale in Lama and Ali Kadam upazila, Zamchari, Baghmara , Reicha, Sualock in Bandarban Sadar, Sainggya, Betchora, Nachalongpara. Kanaijupara and Hanshamapara of Roangchhari.

According to sources in the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Bandarban, tobacco cultivation started here initially on only 1,860 acres of land in 1995-'96 fiscal. Within a span of seven years, its cultivation doubled spreading over 4,965 acres.

Farmers got interested in tobacco cultivatation due to various reasons. The reasons are, farmers get fair price of produced tobacco instantly, they face no problem in its marketing and easy availability of fertiliser from multinational tobacco companies during tobacco cultivation season, according to the Deputy Director of the Department Agricultural Extension (DAE), Bandarban, Shahidullah Sarker.

He revealed the lands are losing fertility rapidly due to repeated tobacco cultivation on the same land.

Elderly people alleged that because of negligence of duty of DAE block supervisors, the tobacco companies are encouraging and backing farmers to cultivate tobacco on their lands. Block supervisors seldom visit farmers. Grabbing the opportunity, multinational companies are patronising farmers to increase its cultivation, elderly people said further.

However, according to multinational companies, tobacco is being

cultivated on not more than 4,000 acres of land under their supervision. Lama and Ali Kadam are on top of the list where tobacco is cultivated on more than 2500 acres of land.

Tobacco cultivation extended very fast on 1,000 acres in Naikhongchari and over 500 acres of land in Ruma, Thanchi, Bandarban Sadar and Roangchari upazila.

Because of repeated tobacco cultivation, vegetables are not grown on the lands, according to elderly people.

During a visit to Zamchai and Baghmara, this correspondent found that sugarcane is cultivated on personal initiative on a certain land while wheat is being cultivated under supervision of a local NGO on another land, whereas tobacco is cultivated on a vast tract land in the entire area.

Forest resources in the area are also threatened due to tobacco cultivation. According to statistics of tobacco companies, about 2,500 metric tons of firewood are required to dry tobacco grown on 7,000 acres of land in Bandarban. In the process, resources of Sangu and Matamuhury reserve forests are being dwindled. Green vallies and forest areas are rapidly changing into deserts.

A local farmer, Thoamg Mong said to this correspondent, because of inability of the government departments to supply seed, fertiliser and insecticide during vegetable cultivation season and alleged misbehaviour of government employees, farmers have turned themselves towards tobacco companies.

'We prefer ready cash from tobacco to be deprived of fair price of vegetable and other crops,' he added.