Annual turnover of Rajshahi betel leaf hits Tk 25 billion

RAJSHAHI, Feb 15: The annual turnover of the betel leaf of Rajshahi, which has already secured Geographical Indication (GI) certification, has reached Tk 25 billion (Tk 2,5000 crore), according to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Rajshahi.

Rajshahi Deputy Commissioner (DC) Shamim Ahmed said necessary documents had been submitted two months ago seeking GI recognition of the product whose market size is bigger than the market value of the mangos of the region.

Although Rajshahi is called the capital of mangoes, the betel leaf here goes ahead of the mango of this region.

While an annual income of about Tk15 billion (1500 crore) is added to the economy of Rajshahi from the mangoes produced on about 200,000 hectares of land at the same time there is a trade of more than Tk25 billion (2.5 thousand crore) betel leaves produced from only 4,000 hectares of land.

According to the DAE, Rajshahi, a farmer can earn at least Tk35,000 per month from betel leaves on one bigha of land.

Setting up betel leaf gardens once on each bigha of land would cost Tk0.2 to 0.25 million (2 to 2.5 lakh) and the duration of cultivation ranges from 30 to 40 years.

There are a total of 39,101 betel leaf farmers in Rajshahi district, where farming of the crop has doubled in the past five years.

In the first seven months of the financial year 2023-24, total 77,219 tonnes of betel leaves were produced form 4,580 hectares of land in Rajshahi.

Among the nine upazilas of the district, Bagmara, Mohanpur and Durgapur play a prominent part in betel leaf cultivation.

The total number of betel leaf gardens here is 39,876, from where farmers sell produce in 20 markets of the district.

Farmers said Tk 0.4 million (four lakh) can be earned by cultivating betel leaves one one bigha of land spending Tk 0.2 million (two lakh).

Lutfar Rahman, a farmer of Mohanpur, made a garden on 10 kathas of land at a place near his house and cultivated betel leaves. On an average, once in 15 days he collects betel leaves from there. Around Tk10,000 to Tk 15,000 worth of betel leaves have been harvested this season so far.

"A decade ago, my village had 12 betel leaf gardens of 12 people. Now there are 50 to 60 gardens," he said.

Akkas Ali, a farmer of Bagmara upazila, said, "Once a betel leaf garden is prepared, there is no need to worry about it for 20 to 30 years. Problems occur during monsoon. Pesticides cannot be used in water. Oil cake should be used as fertiliser or alternative to pesticide. Direct use of pesticides will be harmful to humans. So care should be taken in this regard."

Traders say that the value of Rajshahi's betel leaf is high. This betel leaf is also exported to different countries.

According to the DAE, an initiative has been taken to establish the country's first betel leaf research centre in Rajshahi.

As research is conducted on the mango at Rajshahi Fruit Research Centre, so research will be done on the betel leaf in the new institute.

Md Mozdar Hossain, deputy director of the Rajshahi DAE office, said a proposal has been sent to the ministry to set up a betel leaf research centre in Rajshahi.

A delegation has already conducted a feasibility study in Rajshahi. They also chose the site for the prospective betel leaf research centre in Moungachi area of Mohanpur. Now the next process will start.

Besides the country, there is a huge demand for the region's betel leaf in the Middle East as well.

Rajshahi Deputy Commissioner (DC) Shamim Ahmed said, "Rajshahi's betel leaf is going outside the country. Alongside silk and mangoes, betel leaf plays an important role in the economy, so we applied two months ago for its recognition as a GI product. As the betel leaf has obtained GI certificate, it will be more appreciated at home and abroad. There will be a revolution in betel leaf production."

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