Croplands turn into fish farms
A number of farmers in the district are using their lands for fish cultivation as they are losing their interest in paddy farming due to low prices.
They have been turning their arable lands into fish farms in the hope of earning windfall profit, said grower Soleman Ali, 55, of Doljor village in Aditmari upazila.
Another farmer, Nazrul Islam, 52, of the village, said he has been digging a pond on his eight bighas of arable land for fish cultivation as he incurred losses by paddy farming in the last few years.
He turned his 10 bighas of arable land into pond farm three months ago, said Ataur Rahman, 65, a farmer of Sakoya village in Sadar upazila.
“I hope to make a profit of Tk two lakh from selling fishes during the month of December this year.”
Grower Haripado Barmon, 65, of Chaparhat village in Kaliganj upzaila, said farmers' tendency to digging pond on arable land is being increased day by day as they are incurring huge losses in paddy farming.
Earlier, some farmers, who earned a good profit from fish farming, inspired others to use their lands for fish cultivation, he said.
Sarwar-Ul-Haque, deputy director of Lalmonirhat Agriculture Extension Department (AED), said they asked the farmers not to dig pond on arable land but many ignored it showing the cause of losing capital in paddy cultivation.
At least 300 ponds have been dug on about 3200 bighas of land in the last two years, he said.
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