BSS, Rajshahi :
Betel leaf cultivation is increasing day by day in the district as it requires a less cost for cultivation and irrigation compared to many other crops.
The farmers are showing more interest in betel leaf cultivation since they got its lucrative market price in the last couple of years. Betel-leaf grown in the district has high demand at home and abroad for its quality and flavour.
According to the sources of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), topographic and climatic condition of some upazilas like Mohanpur, Bagmara, Durgapur, Puthiya and Paba are very suitable for the cash crop farming. And accordingly the farmers have been cultivating the crop in those areas for long.
Muhammad Ali, a farmer of Chandapur village under Bagmara Upazila of the district, has become self-reliant through betel leaf farming. As the first betel leaf grower in his locality, Ali earned fame as a successful farmer in the region. His three sons- Aminul Islam, Abdul Hamid and Ali Hossain- extend support to his works earnestly.
By dint of his hardworking and relentless efforts, Ali built a concrete house for the first time in the area. Witnessing his success many of his neighbours became inspired and established ‘baraj’, unit of betel leaf farming, and they are now doing well.
At present, the three brothers have set up separate ‘baraj’ and they have also become successful farmers.
“Earlier, we had scanty land, had only one ‘baraj’ and faced many problems.
But, now we are owners of 12 bighas of land and have 4/5 ‘baraj’ separately,” said Aminul Islam while narrating their successes.
Aminul said they work very hard in the farming and pass most of their time in nursing betel leaf plants. Though, they have little formal education, they are now committed to making their offspring well-educated with their earnings.
Abdul Hamid said demand for Bagmara’s betel leaf has enhanced gradually in different parts of the region including Bogura, Rangpur and Dinajpur.
He said the leaf is also being exported to different Middle East countries and it has become very much popular in Saudi Arabia. Earlier, we used to sell betel leaf at different local markets like Atrai, Taherpur, Mohanganj, Mollapara and Aloknagar, he added.
However, at present, Aloknagar has become a big market for betel leaf and many wholesalers and retailers come to the market from different areas to purchase betel leaf.
Muktar Hossain, a farmer of Baktiarpur village under Durgqpur upazila, said two types of betel leaves are being cultivated in the area, such as sweet betel leaf and Sanchi betel leaf. However, 70 percent of the total cultivation is sweet betel leaf.
Mokbul Hossain, another farmer of Mohanpur Upazila, said he and his wife have been cultivating betel leaf for more than 21 years.
Shamsul Alam, deputy director of DAE, Rajshahi said: “We provide necessary farming technology to the growers of betel leaf together with disease control measures.” Professor Mustafizur Rahman, Department of Agronomy of Rajshahi University, said betel leaf farming is profitable compared to many other crops.
He said Taka two to three lakh could easily be cashed from one bigha of land if the farming was modernized.
He said acreage of betel leaf farming is around 2,000 hectares in the district producing around 35,000 metric tonnes of crops valued at around Taka 90 crore annually and over 25,000 farmers are involved in its farming directly.
Betel leaf cultivation is increasing day by day in the district as it requires a less cost for cultivation and irrigation compared to many other crops.
The farmers are showing more interest in betel leaf cultivation since they got its lucrative market price in the last couple of years. Betel-leaf grown in the district has high demand at home and abroad for its quality and flavour.
According to the sources of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), topographic and climatic condition of some upazilas like Mohanpur, Bagmara, Durgapur, Puthiya and Paba are very suitable for the cash crop farming. And accordingly the farmers have been cultivating the crop in those areas for long.
Muhammad Ali, a farmer of Chandapur village under Bagmara Upazila of the district, has become self-reliant through betel leaf farming. As the first betel leaf grower in his locality, Ali earned fame as a successful farmer in the region. His three sons- Aminul Islam, Abdul Hamid and Ali Hossain- extend support to his works earnestly.
By dint of his hardworking and relentless efforts, Ali built a concrete house for the first time in the area. Witnessing his success many of his neighbours became inspired and established ‘baraj’, unit of betel leaf farming, and they are now doing well.
At present, the three brothers have set up separate ‘baraj’ and they have also become successful farmers.
“Earlier, we had scanty land, had only one ‘baraj’ and faced many problems.
But, now we are owners of 12 bighas of land and have 4/5 ‘baraj’ separately,” said Aminul Islam while narrating their successes.
Aminul said they work very hard in the farming and pass most of their time in nursing betel leaf plants. Though, they have little formal education, they are now committed to making their offspring well-educated with their earnings.
Abdul Hamid said demand for Bagmara’s betel leaf has enhanced gradually in different parts of the region including Bogura, Rangpur and Dinajpur.
He said the leaf is also being exported to different Middle East countries and it has become very much popular in Saudi Arabia. Earlier, we used to sell betel leaf at different local markets like Atrai, Taherpur, Mohanganj, Mollapara and Aloknagar, he added.
However, at present, Aloknagar has become a big market for betel leaf and many wholesalers and retailers come to the market from different areas to purchase betel leaf.
Muktar Hossain, a farmer of Baktiarpur village under Durgqpur upazila, said two types of betel leaves are being cultivated in the area, such as sweet betel leaf and Sanchi betel leaf. However, 70 percent of the total cultivation is sweet betel leaf.
Mokbul Hossain, another farmer of Mohanpur Upazila, said he and his wife have been cultivating betel leaf for more than 21 years.
Shamsul Alam, deputy director of DAE, Rajshahi said: “We provide necessary farming technology to the growers of betel leaf together with disease control measures.” Professor Mustafizur Rahman, Department of Agronomy of Rajshahi University, said betel leaf farming is profitable compared to many other crops.
He said Taka two to three lakh could easily be cashed from one bigha of land if the farming was modernized.
He said acreage of betel leaf farming is around 2,000 hectares in the district producing around 35,000 metric tonnes of crops valued at around Taka 90 crore annually and over 25,000 farmers are involved in its farming directly.
