Sugarcane farmers frustrated as virus attack ruins crop in Tangail

TANGAIL, July 23: Farmers in Tangail are facing severe losses and uncertainty as an unknown virus has attacked sugarcane fields just before harvest, causing the crop to rot away in the fields.

This season’s favourable weather had promised a bumper sugarcane yield across Tangail District. However, the situation has taken a drastic turn with a sudden viral infection striking the crop just before maturity. An unidentified virus is causing sugarcane stalks to rot field after field, leaving farmers in deep distress and financial loss.

According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), about 465 hectares of land were cultivated with sugarcane in various areas of the district this season. The unknown virus has caused the stalks to rot, and even the surviving ones have not fattened as expected. In the market, each sugarcane is selling for a maximum of Tk 20, compared with Tk 30 to Tk 50 last year. Farmers are incurring losses of about Tk 30 per piece as production costs are not being covered.

Field visits reveal that lush green sugarcane fields in Tangail Sadar Upazila are now being destroyed by the virus. Having lost their only source of income for the year, farmers are spending their days in utter despair. In this situation, affected local farmers have urgently sought government support to recover their losses. They have demanded effective measures from the agriculture department along with government grants or compensation through farmer cards.

Local affected farmers said the sugarcane growth had been good from the start, and they had expected a good harvest. But over the past few weeks, the unknown virus attack has caused one cane after another to rot. The Ishwardi variety, in particular, has been the most affected, with many fields having not a single healthy cane left.

Affected farmer Sultan Kabir claimed that the situation worsened due to a lack of timely effective measures and necessary pesticides to combat the disease. Although the agriculture department was informed, they received little assistance at the field level.

Another affected farmer, Ramjan Ali, said he had hoped for a very good yield this time, but the unknown virus has ruined everything. Many have lost their entire fields to rot. He had dreamed of selling the sugarcane to run his household, and he also took loans from many to cultivate this crop. Now he is worried about how he will repay the debt.

Shafiq Ahmed said the Ishwardi variety has suffered the most damage. They had informed the DAE, but no effective action was taken. If the government does not stand by the affected farmers, they will face a major crisis.

Abu Hanif, a farmer from Kharjana Village in Sadar Upazila, said he cultivated sugarcane on 10 decimals of land this time, costing about Tk 15,000. If the yield had fattened well, the cost might have been recovered. But the virus attack has finished everything. Selling what remains might bring in about Tk 10,000, and even then there are selling costs involved.

Dabir Uddin from Pakulla area said last year, cultivating on 33 decimals cost about Tk 50,000, and he sold for Tk 1,10,000. The garden had about 2,400 pieces of sugarcane. But this year, due to the virus attack in the same garden, the number has dropped to 1,200 pieces. So how much money will he get from selling those?

Farmer Mahmud Ali said he has cultivated sugarcane on about 150 decimals of land. He is worried whether he will even recover his investment, let alone make a profit. Most of the cane stalks have developed rot. Although some canes in the middle of the garden are still healthy, they have not fattened properly.

Shoeb Mahmud, Additional Deputy Director of the DAE in Tangail, said they have learned of the viral problem in some areas. Agriculture department officials are investigating the matter at the field level. He also claimed they are providing necessary advice to farmers. He added that after determining the extent and cause of the infection, necessary measures will be taken.