Erosion threatens country's largest seed farm

River erosion threatens the country's largest seed farm covering 1,044 acres of land in Dashmina upazila under the district.

Over 100 acres of land of the farm set up by Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) as well as its office building and godown there went into the bed of the Tentulia River in last two and a half years, officials said.

Cultivation is also greatly hampered as saline water from nearby Tentulia River regularly floods the area in absence of flood control embankment.

The farm meant for producing salinity tolerant and hybrid varieties of crop seeds covers 1,044.36 areas of land at Char Botham, Char Fatima, Char Hyder, Char Shahjalal, Char Saimon, Char Borhan and Char Bashbaria in Dashmina upazila, BADC sources said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the Tk 250 crore project on March 19 in 2013 and the authorities concerned started cultivation to produce seeds there.

They set up several permanent structures like godown building, office, and residential house for employees and bought a good number of agricultural tools for the farm, BADC sources said.

But serious river erosion soon affected the farm, said officials.

With the help of Bangladesh Navy, the river was dredged in 2014 to change its course but in vain, they said.

"We are very anxious as the whole farm is facing extinction due to the erosion by the Tentulia River, said Meser Howlader, a resident of Bashbaria village, also a farmer of the farm.

Fool control embankment and necessary sluice gates and outlets should be constructed in the farm area to check the erosion, said Abul Hossen Mridha, another farmer.

Md Mirajul Islam, assistant engineer of the farm, said, "Most of the farmland is flooded by saline water from nearby Tentulia River during high tides influenced by the new moon and the full moon. We have informed our higher authorities to take immediate steps for constructing a flood control embankment with concrete blocks to protect the farm."