Farmers losing interest in cotton farming amid falling price
Farmers said this year, prices are half that of last year and many have started cultivating vegetables and maize
Farmers in the northern region of the country, including Rangpur, are losing interest in cotton cultivation because of low prices in the past two years and leaning towards other crops.
Farmers said this year, prices are half that of last year and many have started cultivating vegetables and maize.
Mokleshur Rahman, a farmer in Rangpur Sadar upazila, said, "It takes about six months to grow cotton. Rains and various diseases damage the crop. I've still cultivated cotton, hoping for a good price. But we have to incur losses in selling it at Tk100 per kg, which was Tk200 last year."
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He has invested about Tk1 lakh in cultivating cotton on seven bighas of land, expecting to make a profit of Tk1.5-Tk2 lakh, excluding expenses.
Annual cotton imports can also explain the low prices. Demand for domestic cotton will increase if imports are stopped. Moreover, government subsidies will encourage farmers to cultivate cotton, he added.
A Awal, a farmer from Rangpur's Haragachh area, said he has invested Tk60,000 this year in planting cotton on five bighas of land.
"If I can sell cotton at Tk150 per kg, I will make a good profit," he added.
Labours Mozaffar Hossain, Abdur Rahim and Rafiqul Islam said they receive Tk600 in wages for working in the cotton field, similar to what they got ten years ago. With the recent decrease in cotton cultivation, so has the work. They are now struggling to run their families.
Amal Saha, an official at the Cotton Research Institute, said it was true that farmers are losing interest with the drop in prices. Farmers will be enthusiastic about cotton cultivation if the price of cotton goes up. Farmers are being motivated towards cotton cultivation.
He added that cotton cultivation is still profitable. Cotton plants can be used for fuel, with oil being made from cotton seeds.
Fazle Rabbi, agronomist, and chief cotton development officer of Rangpur, said cotton was cultivated this year on 2,200 hectares, against the target of 2,500 hectares. Five years ago, cotton was cultivated on about 4,000 hectares of land in Rangpur district. It will take a while to restore cotton cultivation to its previous status. However, farmers will return if cotton prices are favourable.
Mohammad Rezaul Amin, the chief scientific agronomist at the Rangpur Cotton Research Centre, said the soil in the Rangpur region is well suited for cotton cultivation. But the price of domestic cotton is slipping as a result of imports, which, in turn is leading to a dip in farmers' interest. However, officials are working at the field-level to incentivize farmers towards cotton cultivation.
He added that this year's cotton yield has been much better in the north than in the last few years.
