BSS, Lakshmipur :Bumper betel nut production has brought smile on the faces of farmers of all the five upazilas in the district as they got fair price of their produce this year.Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) office sources said farmers of the district made betel nut gardens on 6,265 hectares of land in five upazila.Of the total 3,150 hectares of land in Raipur upazila, 850 hectares in Sadar upazila, 575 hectares in Ramganj upazila, 359 hectares in Kamalnagar upazila and 40 hectares of land in Ramgoti upazila.The production target of betel nut this year was fixed at 15,000 tonnes, DAE said. Growers are now busy selling betel nut in the local markets. Generally Baishak-Joistha (May-June) is the blooming period of betel nut and farmers harvest it in Kartik-Agrahayan (November-December).Deputy Director of DAE Golam Mustafa told BSS that the farmers of the area were found interested in betel nut production due to its demand in the country and favourable climatic conditions.Growers also said there has been bumper production this year due to favorable weather and the production of the betel nut was lower, small in size and damaged due to freak weather in the previous year. A good number of growers, retailers and wholesalers have started coming to markets in Dalal Bazaar, Chandraganh, Bhabaniganj and Mandari in Sadar upazila, Haiderganj, Sonapur Denayetpur, Khaserhat and Mollarhat in Raipur upazila.The growers have been exporting betel nut to Dhaka, Chittagong and other parts of the country from here.Local traders said 80 pieces of high quality betel nut are sold at Taka 90 to Taka 120, but low quality or small one is sold at Taka 70 to 90. The high prices have made the growers happy this year. Ismail, a local trader, said “I brought betel nuts worth about Taka 30-lakh and expected a bumper profit from it.
