Farmers busy sorting out betel nut at a village on the Inani coast of Jaliapalong union in Ukhia upazila of Cox's Bazar district- FE Photo COX'S BAZAR, Dec 29: Betel nut, also known as the areca nut, is being exported to different countries in the Middle East from Cox's Bazar in fairly large amounts, thus playing a boastful role of a forex earner.
Native to the southeastern region of Bangladesh, the fruit is sent overseas in a large quantity after fulfilling the local demand.
Sources said Cox's Bazar has witnessed a considerable increase in production of betel nut due to favorable weather conditions.
Meanwhile, producers are also getting good prices of betel nut due to the increased demand.
Cox's Bazar betel nuts have a good name across the country because they are uniquely large in size and rich in taste and value.
The credit of highest production of betel nut in the district goes to Sonarpara of Ukhia upazila and Sabrang of Teknaf upazila.
At least Tk7.5 to 8.0 million (Tk75-80 lakh) worth of betel nuts are traded in each of the local markets.
Farmers said that even five years ago, each raw betel nut was sold for Tk3.0 to Tk?.0. Now it is being sold for Tk 6.0 to Tk8.0.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Cox's Bazar, there are betel nut gardens extending over 8,645 acres of land in Ukhia, Teknaf, Ramu, Cox's Bazar Sadar, Eidgaon, Chakaria and Pekua upazilas of the district.
The Agriculture Department keeps records of dried betel nuts rather than raw betel nuts.
As per DAE statistics, 12,967 tonnes of dried betel nuts will be produced on the 8,645 acres of land.
Assuming the price of dried betel nuts at Tk300 per kg, the price of 12,967 tonnes will be Tk3.90 billion (Tk390 crore).
One kilogram of dried betel nuts can be obtained from five kilograms of raw betel nuts. However, producers said that 18.5 tonnes of raw betel nuts are produced per acre.
According to the farmers' account, 1,59,900 tonnes of betel nut will be produced on 8,645 acres of land, whose market value is about Tk 6.0 billion (Tk 600 crore).
The villages on the Inani coast of Jaliapalong union in Ukhia are full of betel nut orchards. A recent visit to the area showed that betel nuts were hanging from every tree.
There are 430 betel nut trees around the house of farmer Gias Uddin. Each tree has yielded 50-200 betel nuts this year.
Gias Uddin said that the betel nuts have started ripening since October. Sale and purchase also started then.
In the last two months till December 15, he has sold betel nuts worth Tk 0.4 million. There are still more Tk0.4 to 0.5 million worth of betel nuts on the trees. In total, he hopes to sell betel nuts worth Tk0.9 million this time.
Sonarpara village is next to Inani sea beach. Every house in this village has a betel nut garden. Betel nuts are collected from the trees and brought to Sonarpara market for sale. Betel nuts worth at least Tk7.5-8.0 million are sold in the market daily.
Betel nuts are mostly supplied from here to Chattogram, Dhaka, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Kurigram, Nilphamari, Bogura, Mymensingh, Netrakona, Kishoreganj, Cumilla, Brahmanbaria, Habiganj, Sunamganj, Sylhet, Noakhali, Feni and other districts.
When this correspondent visited Sonarpara market, he found that the market had an ample supply of red betel nuts and each pan of betel nuts (containing 80 betel nuts) were being sold for Tk350-450.
Farmer Mohiuddin said that sale of betel nuts starts at 7 am. By 12 noon, he had already sold betel nuts worth Tk 1.0 million.
Last year, he sold betel nuts Tk280-380 per bundle. This time, he is getting Tk100-150 more. He said that the betel nuts of Sonarpara are large in size and delicious in taste.
Amir Jafar, a businessman from Dhaka who came to buy betel nuts, said that the betel nuts of Sonarpara have less seeds and are also large in size. 10-15 betel nuts weigh one kilogram. Large betel nuts are exported abroad.
Local public representative Russell Chowdhury said that betel nuts are cultivated in at least 12-15 villages in Ukhia upazila, including Haldia Palong, Jaliapalong, Inani, Sonarpara, Rumkha, Morichya Chepatkhali. It is estimated that betel nuts worth at least Tk600 million will be sold this season.
Local sources said that more than a hundred traders buy betel nuts from at least 23 markets in Teknaf, Ramu, Eidgaon and Chakaria upazilas. An average of 225 truckloads of betel nuts go to different parts of the country from here every week. Betel nut sales will continue in full swing until January.
Deputy Assistant Agricultural Officer of the DAE, Cox's Bazar Ashish Kumar said that betel nut yield has been good this year due to favorable climatic conditions. The demand for betel nuts is increasing, so the prices are also getting higher. Above all, producers are largely benefiting from its export to the Middle East countries.
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