PANCHAGARH. Aug 23, 2020 (BSS)–Banana cultivation has brought smiles on the faces of a large number of farmers at Sonaher and Chilahati village under Debiganj upazila of the district this year.
The farmers of different villages of the district are now keen to develop banana orchards instead of cultivating jute and paddy.
Farmers said, Banana cultivation is profitable and less expensive and harvesting is possible within 11 months of planting saplings.
Four hundred banana saplings need one bigha of land (33 decimal).
“I have cultivated banana on two acres of land spending TK 60,000 and got TK 1.5 lakh by selling bananas after meeting all expenditures”. Zahir Uddin, a banana cultivator of Chilahati village in Debiganj upazila said.
Since banana harvesting started, traders from Dhaka, Khulna and other parts of the country are swamping to this region and after buying from the orchard sent those to Dhaka and other districts of the country.
Deputy Director, Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) of Panchagarh Mohammad Abu Hanif told BSS with better yield and high profits in less investment the farmers now get encouraged and inclined to have more cultivation of banana.
“The land of Panchagarh is best for banana cultivation as the land is high in comparison to other regions, Abu Hanif added.
He said, around 3,200 acres of land have been brought under banana cultivation in the district this season and side by side, the farmers have farmed other crops as Brinjal, red –amaranth in the banana orchard which led the farmers to make additional income among the farmers, DD said.