A farmer's tomatoes on two bigha of land in Rajoir, Madaripur, have been destroyed after he used a pesticide to control insects. With about 6,000 plants dead, the loss comes to Tk 15 lakh to Tk 20 lakh.

The farmer, Mintu Matubbar, lives in Telikandi village in the upazila. On Wednesday (7 February) afternoon, agriculture officials and representatives of the pesticide company came to inspect the damaged tomato field.

According to sources, Mintu Matubbar planted tomatoes on two bigha. A week ago he bought an insecticide from Pramatha Bala, shopkeeper of Bala Enterprise at Amgram bazaar in Rajoir. He applied the pesticide, named Voliam Flexi, to the field following the rules. Afterwards all the tomato plants gradually began to burn.

Farmer Mintu Matubbar said: "This happened because the shopkeeper didn't give me a good-quality pesticide. Six thousand tomato plants and the crop have both been ruined. The loss is Tk 15 to 20 lakh. I want compensation."

Tanvir Ahmed, representative of the Syngenta company's Madaripur unit, said the pesticide used has been sent to a laboratory, and the cause will be known after testing.

Swasati Sandhya Debnath, Rajoir upazila agriculture officer, said the affected farmer will be given every kind of help. If the company is responsible, action will be taken against it too. The company has been asked to pay compensation.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.