Cow dung as fuel: Farmland losing essential manure

A huge amount of cow dung is being used as fuel especially for cooking purposes in Lalmonirhat and Kurigram districts, thanks to lack of awareness and government move to motivate people to utilise it as manure.

Although there is no exact figure on the amount of cow dung being spent as fuel, according to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) and various non-government organisations, about 15,000 tonnes of cow dung are being used as fuel in the two districts every year.

It needs half a kg cow dung for making each cow dung stick and around one lakh sticks are being made every day except for the rainy season, sources said.

Although a good number of farmers use cow dung as organic fertiliser, almost all the landless families in villages use cow dung as fuel.

Shukla Rani, 35, a landless woman of Karimbazar village in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila, said they have three cows but no land and they get 15 kg to 18 kg of dung every day. This dung is used to make 30 to 32 cow dung sticks for fuel.

"Everyone in our village makes cow dung sticks and uses it as fuel," she added.

Nowshed Ali, 67, a farmer, said cow dung is the main and best ingredient for producing organic fertiliser.

Only due to lack of awareness and initiative, organic manure is being used for cooking, he said.

"If cow dung is stored following certain rules, it becomes organic manure," he said.

"The organic fertiliser produced by cow dung is better than chemical fertilizer. Using this type of fertiliser helps to have the desired yield of crops," said Manjurul Haque, 55, another farmer from Thanahat village of Chilmari upazila in Kurigram.

Rezaul Karim, an NGO representative in Chilmari area of ​​Kurigram, said by conserving cow dung, organic fertilisers are produced.

The fertility of the land will increase and the use of chemical fertilisers will also decrease if cow dung is used alternatively, he added.

Shamim Ashraf, deputy director (DD) of DAE in Lalmonirhat, said the agriculture department officials have been advising people to use cow dung as organic manure.

"Organic manure is an indispensable factor for land. The use of organic fertilisers increases crop production," said the DD.