Tobacco hybrids rampant

Tobacco companies have reportedly been flouting rules and introducing unchecked hybrid tobacco varieties on the field, while the government remains in the dark about which varieties are being cultivated by our farmers.

“We only know the name of four varieties – Jati, Motihari, Burley and Flue-Cured Virginia – that have long been cultivated in Bangladesh. But there are some other varieties released by the tobacco companies including British American Tobacco (BAT) in the field, for which we do not know the names,” said Khondoker Md Mesbahul Islam, additional director of Department of Agricultural Extension’s (DAE) Rangpur region.

The tobacco companies have been providing the seeds to their contract farmers to get better production, he added.

In response to a query, the DAE official said the tobacco companies never share any information about their cultivation through contract farming.

However, seeking anonymity, a former manager of the BAT who was previously stationed in the Rangpur region told the Dhaka Tribune there are at least eight hybrid varieties – other than the common four varieties – that the BAT provides to farmers across the country.

Some of those hybrid varieties include Banket A1, NC95 and K326, the ex-manager added.

Laksmikanto Devnath, a contract farmer employed by the BAT in Lalmonirhat, told the Dhaka Tribune that he did not know what variety the company was supplying him to grow, but knew that the seeds produced quality tobacco.

Iqbal Hossain, the incumbent BAT manager for Lalmonirhat, however, claimed that they do not cultivate varieties other than the four known ones.

According to the National Seed Policy, new varieties of wheat, rice, jute, potato and sugarcane developed by private or public agencies will be subject to notification by the National Seed Board.

Varieties of all other crops, including tobacco, developed by public research agencies will be subject to an internal review and approval by each respective agency and must be registered with National Seed Board (NSB) before being released.

However, NSB Director General Anwar Faruque said the British American Tobacco must have taken permission to import the varieties long ago.

Criticising the DAE for its ignorance about existing tobacco varieties, Faruque said DAE officials should know what was happening in the field.

Pavel Partha, an ecology and biodiversity researcher, said: “If the government really does not know about the varieties, it will be a violation of the National Seed Policy which ensures that the quality of seed goes with the country’s soil character.”

The most crucial threat was that the unchecked seed varieties might hamper the ecological balance by changing biotic ecosystem, he added.

While contacting with British American Tobacco (BAT) Bangladesh regrading the allegation, Anowarul Amin, corporate affairs manager of BAT, initially told this correspondent to contact through email as this is their official procedure.

However, he refrained himself from making any comment or answer of two repeated e-mails.

Rather, Impact PR, the public relation agency of BAT contacted the correspondent both over phone and physically and said that “The required information is available at the Agriculture Ministry”.

Government policy on Tobacco farming

Despite labelling tobacco as a cash crop, the government has a stance to discourage tobacco farming for its hazardous nature by promoting other crops through incentives.

NSB chief Faruque said the government has been trying to discourage tobacco farming, but has been unable to do so as fair price of other crops cannot be ensured.

The volume of tobacco farming has been increasing each year, even though the DAE claims that the acreage is decreasing.

Tobacco production in 2014-15 fiscal year was 39,265 tonnes in 18,305 hectare, while in 2013-14 the production was 39,436 tonnes in 19,057 hectares of arable land, according to the latest figures from DAE’s Rangpur region – which consists Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari.

The numbers also show that this year’s acreage has come down to 16,507 hectares.

Regarding the increase of tobacco production despite less land use, DAE regional Additional Director Mesbahul said this happens because of the high yielding varieties.

In Bangladesh, tobacco is generally cultivated during the dry season between November and March.

Source: Dhaka tribune,january 31, 2016