BOGURA, Apr 17: Papaya cultivation has brought smile to the hundreds of marginal peasants in all twelve upazilas of Bogura district this season.
Due to favourable weather and timely supply of necessary agri-input, the peasants are achieving bumper production. Besides, the farmers are seen happy over good market price compared to the previous year.
According to Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), the farmers of the district have cultivated the crop on 560 hectares of land. The new farmers are being added with the crops cultivation elsewhere the area, DAE added.
In a recent visit at Mohasthan kitchen market the correspondent found each KG of the ripen papaya is being sold at Tk 40 to 50 but the farmers have to spend average Tk 10 to 15 to produce the same weight of the crops.
The wholesalers from different area visit the big kitchen market to purchase the crops from the farmers directly in a view to sell them to the customers across the country, said farmer Harun-or Rashid. The farmers are getting fair market price, he added.
"I have cultivated some 31 decimal of land under papaya cultivation this current season spending Tk 15,900 to pay quality sapling, fertiliser and labour cost," said farmer Mamunur Rashid, 46, under Kahaloo upazila.
"I have already sold some twenty mounds of the crop with Tk 24,000 and expecting to make over Tk 28,000 as profit from the rest of the crops if the price remain high till last week of June" he added.
Deputy Director of DAE Protul Chandra Sarker said, "We have provided all sort of necessary agri-input among the farmers to make the programme a grand success. The papaya farming is boosting to improve economical condition of the peasants smoothly," he added.
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