At least 24 indigenous varieties of paddy are threatened with extinction in the Chittagong Hill Tracts due to threats from increasing cultivation of high yielding varieties (HYV).
Most of the farmers in CHT, comprising of Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhari hill districts have been using HYV due to their bumper outputs, sources at District Agriculture Extension (DAE) said.
According to the DAE, there is 131, 474 hectares first class, second class and third class (Jhum) cultivable land in CHT.
There are around 1.7m people in CHT and total demand of rice is around 300,000 tonnes, but CHT farmers are able to produce only 200,000 tonnes of paddy from three categories of land each year, the sources added.
34 kinds of indigenous paddy have been mainly cultivated on 4.45 hectares of Jhum land in Rangamati district, 84.58 hectares Jhum land in Bandarban and 3.24 hectares Jhum land in Khagrachhari in the last three decades.
Besides, Jhum land native varieties were also cultivated on plain land but on a limited scale, the sources said.
The DAE sources said a total of 34 native varieties of paddy are cultivated in CHT.
However, only 7 to 10 native varieties of paddy was cultivated in Bandarban last year, said Aungsuikhai Marma, 45, a farmer from Rajvila under sadar upazila in Bandarban.
“We have been losing interest in cultivating indigenous varieties as we just get 20 to 25 mounds paddy per acre while we can easily get 40 to 45 mounds paddy from the same land by cultivating HYV”, he added.
Farmers in the hilly areas were still cultivating some native varieties including Galong, Bini, Chakma-Chikon, Fedy, Borodan, Churai, Laldan, Rangi, Surjamoni and Sonamukhi but on a limited scale, he said, adding that indigenous varieties are now fighting with HYV and face threat of extinction.
“Farmers are more inclined to cultivate HYV and other modern varieties due to their own requirements,” L-Thanga Pangkhoya, 55, of Sajek under Bagaichhari upazila said, adding that at least 20 indigenous varieties were already extinct.
Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officer of Khagrachhari DAE Ranjit Dash said output from native varieties was not satisfactory, adding that only 8 indigenous varieties were cultivated in Khagrachhari last year but again, on a limited scale.
“But gradually HYV would reach every corner of the hills as farmers are now in search of modern varieties, he added.
Bandarban DAE Officer Abul Kalam echoed the sentiments of the agriculture office of Khagracchari and said most of the farmers are now using HYV due to their bumper output.
Additional Director of Rangamati DAE Udoy Shanker Mutsuddi said farmers had to cultivate HYV to meet the local as well as the national demands.