Bumper production brings smile on faces of Magura chilli growers

Low price frustrates Naogaon cultivators

Our Correspondent | Published: September 17, 2018 22:22:28

MAGURA, Sept 17: Bumper production and fair price have brought smile on the faces of Magura Tengakhali chilli growers. This year Magura Tengakhali chilli growers are expecting Tk 60 million.
Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) Magura sources informed, this season a total of 720 hectares of land was brought under Tengakhali chilli cultivation in the district and achieved 2,080 tonnes of chilli.
Mrinal Shen, a farmer of village Madhobpur under Magura sadar upazila said, this year I brought my 2 bighas of land under Tengakhali chilli cultivation and I have earned Tk 35,000 and expecting more this season. Now chilli is being sold in the retail market at Tk 60 per kg while Tk 30 per kg in the wholesale market. Such price is encouraging for us.
Achinata Biswas, another farmer of village Bagbaria under Magura Sadar upazila said, cultivation of Tengakhali chilli is increasing in the district every year. Production of Tengakhali chilli is about 3 tonnes per hectare while 2.5 hectares is our common variety. Moreover now farmers of Narail and Jhenidah district are collecting Tengakhali chilli seeds from us.
Akram Mollah, a chilli whole seller in Dhaka road area in Magura town said, Tengakhali chilli has a good market in different parts of the country including capital city. At present we are sending Tengakhali chilli of Tk 0.3 to 0.4 million to different parts of the country including capital city from Magura.
Magura DAE official Abdur Rashid said, this year Magura growers enjoying Tengakhlai chilli production. For several years Tengakhali chilli is turning fortune wheel of Magura growers, he added.
Another correspondent from Naogaon adds: Though farmers are seeing a high yield of green chilli this year with the harvest already underway in Mohadevpur Upazila of Naogaon district, falling prices of the crop have bred frustration among them.
Farmers cultivated the crop with great enthusiasm in the upazila this season for favourable climate condition and hope of handsome profit.
But in the recent days, growers have been seen selling green chilli at Tk 10 to Tk 15 in the local wholesale markets.
Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) sources said some 280 hectares of land were brought under green chilli cultivation in ten unions of the upazila this year while the production rate was 150 hectares last year.
Upazila field level DAE officials said, the chilli plants have grown well in the area without using additional fertiliser and pesticide. Production is very good as well. But the growers are incurring loss due to lower price.
One Masud Rana of village Natshal under the upazila said he cultivated chilli on 1 bigha of land expending Tk. 27,000.
"Till now, I sold most of the produce at Tk17,000 only. I cannot assure, rest of the produce will bring me back the production cost", Rana added.
He also alleged that the middlemen are getting full benefit of the cultivation this season.
Upazila agriculture officer Jahangir Alam Pramanik said farmers of the area have got bumper production of green chilli this year due to favourable climate condition.
But, they cannot recover the production cost as the market price has fallen alarmingly this week, he added.