Sunamganj farmers bemoan as hybrid paddies drive away local varieties

Once the indigenous varieties of paddy were cultivated on a large scale in haor areas in Sunamganj.

But with the passage of time the native paddies have almost disappeared thanks to the arrival of high-yielding hybrid varieties.

Local farmers and others involved with agriculture blamed the growing dominance of multinational companies and hybrid paddy cultivation.

Just two decades ago, the haors such as Shani, Matian, Mahalir and Bordi Gurmas in Tahirpur upazila of the district had been thriving with various native varieties of Boro paddy, grown to shield against floods.

Indigenous Boro paddy was easy to cultivate with no fertilizers or pesticides. These varieties were resilient to climatic changes, surviving excessive rainfall or drought with minimal impact and even didn't need irrigation.

However, in recent years, the rise of hybrid paddy and the aggressive dominance by multinational companies are pushing the traditional varieties out of the fields.

In search of higher yields, farmers are shifting to hybrid paddy as the government is encouraging hybrid paddy cultivation to ensure food security and self-sufficiency.

Despite this shift, Tahirpur Upazila Agriculture Office continues to advise farmers to preserve seeds of local paddy varieties alongside high-yield hybrids.

Among the native varieties that have already disappeared from the haor region are Rata, Gachi Shail, Najishail, Lakai, Pani Shail, Bor, Tepy, Rangila Tepy, Rajashail, Begun Bichi, and Boro Zira.

These varieties, once used to prepare delicious dishes for guests, were not only known for their taste but also their nutritional value.

Local agriculture officials said that the low yield of indigenous paddy has caused farmers to lose interest in cultivating. Now varieties like BRRI Dhan-28, BRRI Dhan-29, BRRI-1203, and Shakti are now the dominant crops in the haors.

In Shani Haor of the upazila, farmer Jasim Uddin said that cultivating indigenous paddy used to be cheaper and during harvest time, the village was filled with traditional snacks like pithas (rice cakes), payesh (rice pudding), chira (flattened rice), khoi (puffed rice), and muri (puffed rice).

These celebrations have now disappeared. He also said that indigenous paddy cultivation did not require excessive use of fertilizers or pesticides.

Echoing Jasim, another famer Satyar Ray said that they didn't need to buy paddy seeds from the market in the past. They would simply store some of their harvest to use as seeds for the following year.

However, now they must purchase expensive seeds every year, and they also need to apply large amounts of pesticides, fertilizers, and water to achieve satisfactory yields, he recalled.

Asaduzzaman, plant conservation officer at Tahirpur Upazila Agriculture Office, shared that farmers are opting for high-yielding paddy varieties to get more benefits.

He said that during various training sessions organised by the agriculture office, they encourage farmers to preserve indigenous paddy seeds along with hybrid varieties.

Despite the lower yield, indigenous paddy is sold at a higher price in the market, he observed.