RAJSHAHI, July 19, 2020 (BSS)- Betel leaf farmers have been facing financial loss due to the adverse impact of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic in the district.
Farmers said their amount of losses has been enhanced to a greater extent as they are being forced to sell their harvested betel leaf at a lower rate compared to the normal time amid the pandemic situation.
Jahangir Alam, 45, a farmer of Dhurail Village under Mohanpur Upazila, said production of the cash crop is very good this year but its retail price has been reduced abnormally in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic.
Earlier, a big size 64-leaf bundle was sold at Taka 70 but it is being sold at Taka 10-15 at present while the small size at Taka two to three against the previous Taka 50 frustrating the growers badly, he added.
Rafiqul Islam, 54, another farmer of the same village, said betel leaf couldn’t be exported besides non-coming of traders and business from different areas this year due to the global fallout resulting in abnormal price declining of the crop in local markets.
Farmer Abul Kalam Azad of Halidagachhi village said even the farmers are also failing to recoup the harvesting cost of the crop.
Small shops and vendors of betel leaf have shut their business since the pandemic began.
In Bagmara Upazila, many of the betel leaf farming plots have become submerged due to onrushing of floodwater from upstream which is also damaging the crop.
According to the sources of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), around 68,976 tonnes of betel leaf are produced from 4,311 hectares of land in the district every year valued at around Taka 3.61 crore which is higher than the seasonal mango marketing as betel leaf is a year-round crop.
Shamsul Haque, Deputy Director of DAE, Rajshahi, said Mohanpur, Durapur and Bagmara Upazila are the highest betel leaf producing areas in the district and around 69,228 farmers are involved in the farming.
He, however, said highest betel leaves are produced in Mohanpur Upazila and the betel leaf is the main economic crop in upazila. Entire farmers of Dhurail, Khanpur, Mallikpur and Mohabbatpur villages in the upazila are engaged in the farming vibrating the local economy, he added.
Living and livelihood conditions of more than one lakh people in the upazilas are dependent on the cash crop farming.
Betel-leaf farming plays a vital role towards improving the socio-economic condition of people in many areas of the region as it has an extra fame for the crop and its marketing.
As it’s more profitable than many other crops to the farmers, the number of its farmers and acreage is increasing day-by-day.
Local farmers are becoming interested in betel leaf farming as they have been getting a fair price of the produce in the market for the last couple of years.
Farming of the cash crop has doubled this year only in Mougachhi village under Mohanpur Upazila. More than twenty farmers including Gaziuddin Sheikh, Abdus Salam and Altaf Hossain have set up a new ‘Baraj’ unit of farming this year.
Muhammad Ali, a farmer of Chandapur village under Bagmara Upazila of the district, has become self-reliant through betel leaf farming.
As the first betel leaf grower in his locality, Ali earned fame as a successful farmer in the region. His three sons- Aminul Islam, Abdul Hamid and Ali Hossain extend support to his works earnestly.
By dint of his hard work and relentless efforts towards the betel leaf farming, Ali built a concrete house for the first time in the area. Witnessing his success many of his neighbours became inspired and established ‘Baraj’ and they are now doing well.
But, unfortunately, this year’s pandemic situation has brought devastation to the betel leaf farmers together with the promising sector, Agriculturist Haque added.