About fifty farmers in Baishari union of Naikhongchhari upazila, Bandarban, are in trouble after planting a seed paddy sold as "Ranjit Paijam". Within 10 to 15 days of transplanting, the plants set panicles and stopped growing; many have turned reddish and the tillers have not developed. The farmers fear they will not harvest even a maund a bigha.

The variety was planted this season on roughly 45 to 50 kani (54 to 60 acres) across the union, with seed bought from the shop of Abdul Karim Bandu, a trader at Baishari bazar. A tour of the area found plants still small in many fields while a good number had already headed.

Affected farmer Md Anisur Rahman said he bought the seed believing it to be an improved variety, planted it as the shopkeeper instructed and applied fertiliser and pesticide, yet the paddy headed within a fortnight and grew no further; nothing he applied afterwards made a difference. Farmer Oli Ahmad said each kani had cost Tk 22,000-25,000, borrowed money, and that a failed crop would mean a heavy loss.

Seed seller Abdul Karim Bandu said he had sold packets of "Ranjit Paijam", that most buyers' paddy was doing well, that a few had problems and that a company representative had visited the fields and advised them. Md Shoaib, representative of Sonali Seed Company, blamed the farmers' methods, saying those who followed the company's advice had healthy plants, that the company was supplying fertiliser, pesticide, sprays and advice which the farmers were not following, and that he was now being pressed to take the blame.

Md Rafiqul Islam, the sub-assistant agriculture officer for Baishari, said farmers were being advised and would have to wait and see. Naikhongchhari upazila agriculture officer Md Enamul Haque said he had never heard of a seed called "Ranjit Paijam"; on being informed he had told sub-assistant officers to monitor the matter, and the seed company's representative had been told to compensate the affected farmers.

The farmers are demanding an independent test of the seed and of why it headed so abnormally early, an assessment of the damage and compensation. That the local agriculture office had never heard of the seed points to how thinly the seed trade in the hill districts is supervised. The report is by Janakantha's Bandarban correspondent.

Source: Daily Janakantha