Rats, mites and high salinity have caused damage to green coconuts, much to the worry of farmers in the coastal district.

Mite is a tiny eight-legged creature belonging to the order Acarina related to spiders and ticks.

''I have planted 50 coconut trees. Of them, 40 have borne green coconuts. The mites attack the green coconuts and make them spotted, under-sized as well as dried,'' said Fayzul Islam of Tangrakhali village in Kachua upazila.

''After that, we got some matured green coconuts but then came the rats and damage them'' he said.

Farmer Obidul Haque of Sammankathi village said, “We have planted at least 100 coconut trees. The coconuts are small in size and spotted. The production is getting less. No one wants to buy the spotted green coconuts.''

Famer Abul Hossain Khan of Sangdia village said he planted 150 trees on the bank of his shrimp enclosures but most of the coconuts are under-sized, spotted and dried due to high salinity in the water.

Coconut trader Abdur Rahim said they bought 100 green coconuts for Tk 1400 but none wants to buy them due to spots.

Amitav Mondal, additional deputy director (Horticulture) of Bagerhat Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), said they suggested the farmers to use insecticide to check the mite and trap to control the rats as well.

Bagerhat DAE Deputy Director Aftab Uddin said the coconut trees can tolerate 4-5 ppm (parts per million) of salinity.

Coconut production is being reduced day by day in the areas due to high salinity, he said.