Salt in the wound for tomato farmers

A tomato trader at a bazar in Sirajganj. PHOTO: Hridoye Mati O Manush

Tomato farmers of Jazira are facing severe crisis as their produce has been burnt by an administrative drive without justified cause. Shariatpur's Jazira is an ideal spot for tomato farming right after Rajshahi's Godagari. In Jazira, tomato is being farmed on 400 hectares of lands, and the Department of Agriculture had a target of producing 30,000 Mt. tons of tomato on 600 hectares of land in six Upazilas of Shariatpur. In wide-ranging crises, how are the tomato farmers passing their days?
The tomato farmers of Jazira have been panic-struck since the day their tomatoes were burnt by the authority on field. “Government and its administration are farmers' friends. Bangladesh is surviving because we are producing food. And, now they're burning our crops”, said a farmer. A new story was unveiled. Farmers informed me about the government drive that took place in Mollkandi, locally known as Old Jaynagar. Executive Magistrate of Shariatpur Firoz Ahmed led the team of administration who burnt the tomatoes. During the drive, Upazila Agriculture Officer Md. Habibur Rahman was also present.
I had to cross a narrow river to reach Mollakandi where the incident took place. Farmers generally harvest tomato and leave those at the river bank for ripening. Suddenly, a few days back, government took action and in a blink tomatoes of fifteen farmers were burnt. Some had 30 to 50 maunds and some had more than 300 maunds of tomatoes which were turned to ashes. These sons of the soil are indigenous farmers since the time they started comprehending their own world. However, so far, they have never faced anything like this.  
Many marginal farm-families were ruined on that day. Even the mats and garments of women farmers which covered the tomatoes were burnt. The wound is still there. How will they recover from this loss? A sight is still haunting my mind - I saw a farmer and his wife trying to find the good tomatoes from the burnt ones for their survival. What could be more pathetic a scene than this?   
“The administration has prepared a list of farmers who used ripening hormones and the police has told to report each of the farmers at the station”, a farmer complained. Most of the farmers are now hiding and some farmers said cases will be filed against them. Few other farmers said some police officers also demanded bribe from the farmers. If they pay, there will be no trouble at all. Another farmer gave me a horrible information that a group of local journalists unlawfully publish news that these farmers are using illegal 'ripening hormones' and through this they involved the police and administration to ensure that these kinds of drives take place. Mixing harmful chemicals in food is definitely a crime and is liable to be punished by the authority. When farmers' goods are burnt in front of them, it certainly brings financial and mental trauma to them.
The first question naturally appears- why this drive and how the authority went to find whether growth promoter or ripening hormones were used and/or at what rate was it used? The second question- how does a farmer go about applying for approval to use such growth promoters? Third question- When the hormone already got the permission to be used, do the famers get training on how to use it and what should be the rate of application? And the final question- what does the law say in burning the agricultural goods in broad day light? I have tried to investigate the whole issue and unearth the hidden motifs. I met DC of Shariatpur Ram Chandra Sarker. He referred to The Consumer Right Protection Act, 2009, Section 36. The section says if any investigation proves that a product is adulterated and if it is harmful for human health, that product could be destroyed. “Local Agriculture Officer ensured farmers have mixed harmful chemicals on tomatoes. That's why the administration took action”, confirmed the DC. I wanted to see the official letter submitted by the unknown agriculture officer and the DC said he would give that later. I have sent our local Shariatpur correspondent to him time and again but I couldn't still get the official letter.   
After I met the DC of Shariatpur, I talked with Upazila Agriculture Officer who said he was only present there when the administration burnt the tomatoes. When I asked the officer whether farmers have used harmful hormones he said, “I only assumed and heard farmers apply harmful hormones”.
I collected bottles of growth promoters and ripening hormone from tomato farmers. On the bottles, it clearly has the registration number approved by the DAE (Department of Agricultural Extension). I talked with the Pesticide Regulatory Officer Nazmul Ahsan of the DAE regarding this issue. He clearly mentioned that this hormone is not at all hazardous for health but there is a rate of applying. “If the farmers use this product, The Consumer Right Protection Act has nothing to do with it”, says Nazmul Ahsan. I also talked with former Magistrate Rokon-Ud-Doula who has been shot to fame with his anti-adulteration drives. He was very frustrated to know about this and said, "When you conduct any mobile courts or drives, you have to depend on the evidence. Agricultural goods that help us build a better GDP, before being destroyed, must be verified - there should be proper monitoring, examination and concrete evidence”, added the former magistrate.     

These farmers have lost at around 1200 maunds of tomato, worth 3.8 million taka, only based on an assumption! Who will repay these farmers or cure their wounds? Who will recompense their loss and stand beside them? Before doing anything against the farmers, the concerned authority must gather evidence of wrongdoing, be careful, be investigative and be honest while conducting their drives. Because when the authorities burn agricultural produce without justified reasons, they aren't just burning hopes and dreams, they are snatching away the very food that keep the people of Bangladesh alive.