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July
27, 2000
Moulvibazar,
July 26 (UNB)- Marginal farmers in all the six upazilas of the
district are facing serious problem in tilling land as most of them
have no draft animals.
About
40 to 50 percent farmers of the district have no bullocks for tilling
their lands and most of them hire bullocks to prepare the land for
cultivation during the sowing season.
The
poor farmers cannot buy bullocks due to high price and they are forced
to hire the draft animals from the local landlords known as “Jotdar”.
Local farmers said the price of a pair of bullock ranges between Tk
10,000 and 15,000 in the market, which is beyond their purchasing
capacity.
A
good number of farmers use their milch cows in tilling the land, which
eventually leads to reduction in milk production.
There
is no arrangement of bank loans for the farmers to purchase bullocks.
Moreover,
every year cattle diseases break out in an epidemic form in different
parts of the district killing a large number of bullocks due to
shortage of veterinary doctors and medicine in the livestock
hospitals.
To
save their animals the poor farmers have to buy necessary medicines
from black-market at an exorbitant rate. Besides, indiscriminate
slaughtering is another cause of bullock shortage.
It
is also learnt that a section of butchers, defying government order to
observe meatless day, slaughter a good number of cows everyday in
different hats and bazars of the district.
Most
of the traditional grazing fields of the district have turned into
cultivable land without any consideration of cattle feeding. Moreover,
prices of fodder have also registered a sharp rise in the district.
Every
year, many poor farmers are compelled to sell their cattle-head to
maintain their livelihood.
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