COMPARATIVE PROFITABILITY AND HEALTH HAZARD ANALYSIS OF WHEAT, BORO RICE AND TOBACCO PRODUCTION IN MANIKGANJ DISTRICT OF BANGLADESH

Abstract

Executive Summary A common myth about tobacco cultivation is that tobacco is more profitable than other crops. However, tobacco farming becomes unprofitable when the opportunity costs of unpaid family labor and the costs of their significantly severe illnesses and medical care are considered. High environmental impacts from tobacco farming result in a net loss to society. To analyze profitability by comparing non-tobacco with tobacco, and estimate the health costs of individuals in tobacco-cultivated areas. A cross-sectional and comparative study was undertaken among tobacco and non-tobacco farmers with family members in Manikganj districts. A total of 120 households were selected through a multi-stage cluster sampling technique, and each household head was interviewed face-to-face using a semi-structured questionnaire to gather information on households, family members, health hazards (categorized as severe, moderate, and mild), and farming. The quantitative data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistical approaches. The title of this study were two crops such that wheat and boro rice to compare with tobacco but these two crops were not significantly found in study area, where most of the non-tobacco growers were cultivated maize, so profitability and health hazard are compare maize with tobacco. In this study 120 households consisted of a total of 501 household members. Around 18.96% of respondents were seasonal unemployed, and the average household sizes of non-tobacco and tobacco growers were 4.36 and 4.03, respectively. The average land use for cultivation was 81.91 decimals for non-tobacco growers and 96.60 decimals for tobacco growers. Considering all crops in a cultivation year, the undiscounted Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) of non-tobacco was higher (1.72) than that of tobacco (1.02). In BCR for maize production was 1.22, while tobacco production was 1.09. About three-fifth (64.27%) of all household members suffered from tobacco-related sickness. The average treatment costs for nontobacco and tobacco growers were BDT 5,015 and BDT 9,733.57, respectively. The average

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of sick days and lost workdays were 17.74 and 9.82 for non-tobacco growers, compared to 20.17 and 12.29 for tobacco growers. The binary logistic regression results indicate that 10 out of 11 sicknesses were found to be a higher risk for tobacco growers at the severe level compared to non-tobacco growers. Food crops cultivation is more profitable than tobacco cultivation for individual and annual crop production. Moreover, tobacco cultivation carries the risk of disease burden and environmental hazards. To achieve a tobacco-free country by 2040, tobacco farmers should cultivate food crops that are profitable from a broader perspective instead of cultivating tobacco.