1.24 lakh cauliflower plants damaged over enmity

Unidentified criminals on Wednesday night damaged cauliflower plants on five acres of land in Singra Sal Forest area under Birganj upazila by spraying overdose of pesticides allegedly over personal feud.

Nearly 1,24,000 full grown cauliflower plants were completely damaged due to the incident.

Farmer Mahbubur Rahman Bachchu of Nartadangi village said he took lease of five acres of land from one Abdur Rouf about three months ago and planted the cauliflowers.

As per the contract, he will have to pay Tk 1.20 lakh to the land owner every year, Bachchu said. 

Bachchu said when he went to his cropland yesterday morning he saw all his cauliflower plants had turned brownish.

Some unidentified criminals might have sprayed overdose of pesticides overnight for damaging the vegetable plants, he said, adding that so far he has spent Tk 8 lakh in cultivating the item.

“Although I filed a complaint with the local police station in this regard, police are yet to visit the spot,” Bachchu said.

He would have begun harvesting the cauliflowers within the next couple of days, a tearful Bachchu said.

The plants were destroyed by spraying pesticides, Birganj Upazila Agriculture Officer Sharat Chandra Roy said, adding that it will be very difficult for the farmer to overcome such a loss.