Bhola betel leaf producers need financial support
Tuesday, 28 October 2008
Our Correspondent
BHOLA, Oct 27: Betel leaf production in the district is facing a setback for capital shortage and lack of other supports.
Sources said there are more than one thousand betel leaf growers in the district. Hundreds of bighas of land are being used for the cultivation. Betel leaf is produced round the year. Every year growers can make at least Tk 40 to 45 thousands profit from a bigha of betel leaf farm.
It grows abundantly in six upazilas out of seven. After meeting the demand of the local market betel leaf is sent to Dhaka, Noakhali, Chittagong, Hatia, Sandip and other markets. Betel leaf of Tk 20 million is supplied outside the district in a week.
There are about one hundred betel leaf sale centres in the district. Charfassion, Lalmohon, Kunjerhat, Borhanganj, Daulatkhan, Banglabazar, Goingarhat, Paranganj and Bhola Sadar are the most busy centres.
But at present, poor growers cannot continue production lacking running capital. In most of the cases, growers are counting losses and some of them leaving the sector being discouraged.
"We are facing difficulties due to unexpected rise in the prices of the inputs like bamboos, jute sticks, ropes, oil cakes, fertiliser and insecticides. In the same way labour cost is soaring up day by day. Most of the growers can not maintain these expenses for the fund constraint," said Sankor, Nironjan, Shah Alam and some others betel leaf growers.
Farmers said if the government encourages them by offering loan on easy terms along with inputs and training, bumper betel leaf production is possible in the district. As a result, it could turn to be one of the best cash crops of the country.
BHOLA, Oct 27: Betel leaf production in the district is facing a setback for capital shortage and lack of other supports.
Sources said there are more than one thousand betel leaf growers in the district. Hundreds of bighas of land are being used for the cultivation. Betel leaf is produced round the year. Every year growers can make at least Tk 40 to 45 thousands profit from a bigha of betel leaf farm.
It grows abundantly in six upazilas out of seven. After meeting the demand of the local market betel leaf is sent to Dhaka, Noakhali, Chittagong, Hatia, Sandip and other markets. Betel leaf of Tk 20 million is supplied outside the district in a week.
There are about one hundred betel leaf sale centres in the district. Charfassion, Lalmohon, Kunjerhat, Borhanganj, Daulatkhan, Banglabazar, Goingarhat, Paranganj and Bhola Sadar are the most busy centres.
But at present, poor growers cannot continue production lacking running capital. In most of the cases, growers are counting losses and some of them leaving the sector being discouraged.
"We are facing difficulties due to unexpected rise in the prices of the inputs like bamboos, jute sticks, ropes, oil cakes, fertiliser and insecticides. In the same way labour cost is soaring up day by day. Most of the growers can not maintain these expenses for the fund constraint," said Sankor, Nironjan, Shah Alam and some others betel leaf growers.
Farmers said if the government encourages them by offering loan on easy terms along with inputs and training, bumper betel leaf production is possible in the district. As a result, it could turn to be one of the best cash crops of the country.