Banana cultivation gains popularity in Gaibandha
Tuesday, 16 November 2010
Our Correspondent
GAIBANDHA, Nov 15: Cultivation of banana, a favourite fruit of all, has gained much popularity to the farmers of Gobindaganj and Palashbari upazilas in the district in recent years, it being a profitable cash crop.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources said a total of 7875 hectares of land of the upazilas have been brought under cultivation this year.
Of the total, some 4875 hectares of land have been brought under it in Gobindaganj Upazila and 3000 hectares of land in Palashbari Upazila.
Crops production specialist of DAE Satya Brata Paul said a farmer can transplant about 300 saplings of banana on a bigha of land comfortably and it can be harvested after eleven months.
The farmer can also cultivate inter crop like seasonal vegetables on the banana land and thus make additional income, he also said.
Abul Hashem of Darbasta Union of Gobindaganj Upazila said the cultivation of banana is very profitable as TK 50,000 can be earned yearly by selling banana produced on a bigha of land against the production cost of TK 10,000.
Many enthusiastic farmers of other upazilas of the district are coming to the growers and exchanging their views on how to cultivate it on their land successfully in next seasons, he further said.
UP Chairman M. Mostafizur Rahman Dulu said banana cultivation has become the main source of earning for many cultivators as it is profitable.
Palashbari Upazila Agriculture Officer M. Shawkat Osman said the harvest of different varieties of banana including Sagar, Sabri, Champa and Humai is going on in full swing at present.
The traders from other parts of the country mainly Dhaka are coming to the upazilas everyday and taking away the banana to their respective destinations with trucks after buying those from the growers at fair prices, locals said.
Talking to the Financial Express deputy director of DAE M. Qurban Ali said soil and climate here is very suitable to cultivate banana so the farmers of the district are being motivated to cultivate it on a large scale.
The farmers are also being imparted training on latest agro technologies to boost production of the crop, he said.
GAIBANDHA, Nov 15: Cultivation of banana, a favourite fruit of all, has gained much popularity to the farmers of Gobindaganj and Palashbari upazilas in the district in recent years, it being a profitable cash crop.
Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources said a total of 7875 hectares of land of the upazilas have been brought under cultivation this year.
Of the total, some 4875 hectares of land have been brought under it in Gobindaganj Upazila and 3000 hectares of land in Palashbari Upazila.
Crops production specialist of DAE Satya Brata Paul said a farmer can transplant about 300 saplings of banana on a bigha of land comfortably and it can be harvested after eleven months.
The farmer can also cultivate inter crop like seasonal vegetables on the banana land and thus make additional income, he also said.
Abul Hashem of Darbasta Union of Gobindaganj Upazila said the cultivation of banana is very profitable as TK 50,000 can be earned yearly by selling banana produced on a bigha of land against the production cost of TK 10,000.
Many enthusiastic farmers of other upazilas of the district are coming to the growers and exchanging their views on how to cultivate it on their land successfully in next seasons, he further said.
UP Chairman M. Mostafizur Rahman Dulu said banana cultivation has become the main source of earning for many cultivators as it is profitable.
Palashbari Upazila Agriculture Officer M. Shawkat Osman said the harvest of different varieties of banana including Sagar, Sabri, Champa and Humai is going on in full swing at present.
The traders from other parts of the country mainly Dhaka are coming to the upazilas everyday and taking away the banana to their respective destinations with trucks after buying those from the growers at fair prices, locals said.
Talking to the Financial Express deputy director of DAE M. Qurban Ali said soil and climate here is very suitable to cultivate banana so the farmers of the district are being motivated to cultivate it on a large scale.
The farmers are also being imparted training on latest agro technologies to boost production of the crop, he said.