Growing banana of Sagar variety in Narayanganj, Manikganj

Bananas are often called super food for their health benefits. They boost your digestion and heart health, thanks to their fibre and antioxidant contents. Plus, they may help you lose your weight because they are relatively low in calories. They can satisfy your sweet tooth and also help keep you healthy. This is why; nutritionists sometimes say that you do not need to visit a physician if you regularly eat at least one banana every day. It is not so expensive like other fruits. And people of all income groups can afford it.

In Bangladesh, we have several varieties of bananas. Of them, a very popular one is the Sagar. However it is concerning that the original Narsingdi variety of the Sagar banana is becoming rare day by day. Farmers are now interested more in cultivating hybrid bananas to get better yields. But, those do not taste well. Once, Narsingdi and Rampal of Munshiganj were the hubs of quality Sagar banana. But farmers these days cultivate potato and other vegetables in these places instead of Sagar bananas.

In my view, Narayanganj and Manikganj are among the places where Sagar banana farming can flourish. The soil and climate of these two districts are suitable for banana cultivation. The Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) should run two projects, one in Narayanganj and the other in Manikganj, to motivate farmers to grow Sagar banana commercially. Not only motivation, farmers will have to be given saplings, fertiliser and knowhow to grow these bananas.

Md Ashraf Hossain,

Middle Bashabo, Dhaka-1214,

mah120cb@yahoo.com