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Commercial cultivation of Roselle, locally known as Chuka, is increasing in Kathalbari area of Luxmipur-Kholabaria Union in Natore Sadar.
Kathalbari is widely known for its medicinal plants. The cultivation of Roselle has been expanding due to the increasing demand of Roselle flower tea in the market.
The demand of Roselle tea is increasing among people for its various health benefits. Roselle tea is sour in taste and rich in vitamin C. Its sourness also helps to prevent and reduce body fat. Additionally, it is a remedy for coughs. Particularly because of its sour taste, it acts as an antacid.
Farmers said that the profit from cultivating Roselle is several times higher than that of other crops. By cultivating Roselle on one bigha of land, they can earn a profit of around Tk 2,00,000.
Shahidul Islam, the first commercial Roselle farmer in the medicinal village, said that after learning about the benefits of Roselle and considering the demand, he started cultivating Roselle on his five decimal of land in 2018. By following proper methods and selling the tea, he made a significant profit and attracted new buyers.
Since then, Roselle cultivation has steadily increased.
Last year, he cultivated Roselle on five bighas of land. However, this year, he has cultivated Roselle on a total of 10 bighas, including four bighas of leased land.
In response to a question, Shahidul said that he sows the seeds in June every year. Afterward, the seedlings are transplanted from the nursery to the fields. By November, the plants start to bloom. He harvests the flowers and dries them in a dryer machine before selling them either packaged or in loose form by Kg.
He further said that from seed sowing to harvesting and packaging the flowers, his expenses per bigha are around Tk 60,000-70,000. From one bigha of land, he can harvest 70 to 80 kgs of flowers and petals.
He sells these flower petals as tea at a wholesale price of Tk 3,200 per kg and Tk 4,000 per kg at retail. After deducting expenses, he makes a profit of around Tk 2,00,000 per bigha.
Local farmers Idris Ali, Kurban, Rubel, and Sadek Ali mentioned that, following Shahidul's success, five to seven of them have also been cultivating Roselle for several years. They are hopeful that this year will also yield a good profit.
Natore Press Club President Farazi Ahmed Rafiq Baban said that he regularly buys Roselle tea from Shahidul. Although he used to drink regular tea before, now he prefers Roselle tea due to its greater health benefits.
In response to a question, he further said that to prepare the tea, 3-6 flowers petals are added to boiled water, and then the water needs to be boiled again for another 2-3 minutes. This process extracts the juice from the petals, resulting in a pleasant flavour. The tea is then consumed with or without sugar.
Abdul Wadud, deputy director of the Natore Agricultural Extension Department, said that due to the high profitability of Roselle cultivation, the number of farmers and the extent of cultivation are increasing day by day. The tea, after meeting local demand, is now being sold online and offline in various districts across the country.
As the number of tea drinkers grows each day, farmers are benefiting from the increased cultivation of Roselle. This not only benefits the farmers but also provides advantages to regular tea drinkers, contributing to both the country’s economy and public health.
