Banana cultivation turns their livelihood

SM SohelbrJESSORE, Sept 6 Cultivation of banana has changed the lot of a good number of people of Chaugachha Upazila in the district.brThey are now earning handsome money by cultivating and selling different varieties of bananas. Banana farming has become profitable at 11 unions and several villages including Hakimpur, Patibila, Dhuliani and Narayanpur under Chaugachha Upazila. Hundreds of farmers are now cultivating banana for their livelihood. Once they were poor. They are producing Chapa, Shabri ,Kathali ,Sagar and some other varieties of bananas in their land. Banana is being cultivating in some 300 acres of land in the area. Some 420 banana trees are being planted in one bigha of land, farmers said. But production cost of banana is less than that of other fruits.brAbdur Rahman, a farmer said he had one bigha of land. This land was now being used for banana farming. 'Banana made me solvent', he added.brAccording to agriculture extension department production of banana is about riskless. Production cost is also less than that of other fruits. Due to that the farmers of Chaugachha have became interested in banana farming.brThis land is fertile for banana production, an official said.