Betel leaf cultivation uplifting Abhaynagar farmers

JASHORE, Jan 08 (UNB): Inspired by good harvest and better price many farmers in Jashore's Abhaynagar have taken to betel leaf cultivation.

More areas are being brought under betel leaf cultivation with harvest increasing day by day.

Due to the favourable weather, the yield has been good this time. Besides, the farmers are getting good price in the market.

Betel cultivation of the upazila is mostly concentrated in Abhaynagar and Chengutia areas.

About 50 per cent of the people of the upazila have betel farms. Baghutia union is where highest quantity of betel is cultivated.

It is main source of income for most of the farmers in this village. Even those who do not have lands, cultivate on others' land. And from this they are meeting all the expenses of the family.

Nawapara and Chengutia areas have wholesale betel markets. Therefore, the commercially produced betel is being supplied to different places of the country.

Shafiqul Islam, a betel farmer, said he has a betel farm on two bighas of land which is about 10 years old.

"My family survives on betel cultivation. So far, I have had good yield and good price as well. I have become self-sufficient by cultivating betel."

He is able to sell at a wholesale price of Tk 60 to Tk 100 per bira (30 pieces) depending on the size of the betel leaves. Due to the increasing demand in the market the price has not gone down too, he said.

According to the upazila Agriculture Extension Department, betel has been cultivated on 400 hectares of land in the area. The target for betel production has been set at 30 tonnes per hectare.

Habibur Rahman, Lutfar Rahman, Jamal Sheikh, Parimal and Haren Das - betel growers of Baghutia area, said a kind of disease occurs in betel leaves which in more common in the rainy season. But this can be prevented using pesticides. If one guards the plants from this disease a farm can last 20 to 25 years.

In addition, fogs during winter are dangerous too. Due to it the betel leaves fall off and the farmers are severely affected. Since there is no remedy for it, farmers sometimes have to suffer losses. Many farmers cover their farms with polythene to save the plants, they said.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Golam Samdami said that a few training sessions have been conducted for betel growers in the upazila under JICA. That is why betel cultivation is growing day by day in this area.

As it is profitable, betel cultivation has become popular among the farmers here. Meeting local demand, betel leaves are being supplied to other districts, he said.