Gopalganj banana cultivators not getting fair prices

GOPALGANJ, Nov 26: Banana cultivators in the district are frustrated as they are not getting fair prices despite bumper production of Banana this season.
According to Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Gopalganj, about 375 hectares of land have been brought under banana cultivation in the district this year where 125 hectares in Sadar Upazila.
At least 1,200 cultivators involved in this farming in the district, sources said.
Samir Kumar Gwoshami, Deputy Director (DD), Agriculture, Gopalganj told the FE that, special initiatives had been taken for cultivation of different origins of Banana aiming to produce a record quality this year in the district. But farmers discourage farming on Banana due to its low price.
Gobinda Mondal (60), a banana grower of village Gosherchar under Sadar Upazila said, many farmers here are in fear that they would not get production cost following the continuous fall in price of their produce.
Marginal and small farmers in our area are the worst sufferers as they have cultivated their crop taking loan from the local money lenders and anxiety about their inability to repay the loan haunts them round the clock, sources said.
In a recent visit at Kazir Bazar, Manikhar, Dumdia and Majhigati Bazar areas, the correspondent saw that the growers are selling their Banana at Tk 10 to Tk 12 per quad.
Wahab Ali Sikder (50) of village Manikdha under Sadar Upazila in the district said, I have cultivated Banana on 1.50 local bighas (78 decimal) of land spending Tk 1,80,000 but I have earned only Tk 1,10,000 to Tk 1,20,000 from my total sell.
Nazma Haque, Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officer (SAAO), Manikdha block under Latifpur union of Sadar Upazila said, banana farmers in this region are decreasing day by day due to its down market price. If the price does not increase, farmers will come out from its cultivation, Nazma said.

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