Rajshahi farmers await bumper groundnut yield

Groundnut farmers in the Rajshahi division are expecting bumper yield and good profit this year as its cultivation requires small investment and labour, especially in shoal (char) areas.

According to the Rajshahi divisional office of Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), groundnut was cultivated on 306 hectares of land this year. Of them, 222 hectares of land is in Rajshahi district, 75 hectares in Naogaon, and nine hectares in Natore.

In Natore, groundnut was cultivated on two hectares of land in Naldanga, two hectares in Singra, five hectares in Bagatipara, said Mahmudul Faruque, deputy director of Natore DAE.

Sirajul Islam, additional director of Rajshahi divisional DAE, said most of the farmers in these areas cultivate groundnut on the vast sandbanks as their main money-earning crop.

The shoals on the Padma River contain adequate portion of sand for groundnut cultivation, he said, adding that, “Farmers were vastly interested to cultivate groundnut for the past few years due to bumper profit which has subsequently expanded the area used for groundnut cultivation with time,”
he added.

Most of the groundnut farmers who were seen tending their crops, expressed satisfaction over the yield and expecting a good return this year.

Apu Mia, a farmer of Bagatipara upazila, told The Business Post that he cultivated the crop on one bigha of land and the plants are growing abundantly. “I have been cultivating groundnut for the last five years and earned good profit. I expect to get more in this season,” said Jillur Rahman, another farmer from Lalpur upazila.

He said that 30 kilograms of seeds are required for one bigha of cropland. They prepared the seedbed by repetitive ploughing, and seven to 12 maunds of groundnuts can be produced from one bigha of cropland, if carefully planted, he added.

One maund of groundnut is sold at Tk 3000 to Tk 3,500, and each grower can earn profit of Tk 10,000 to Tk 12,000, excluding the production cost, farmers said.

Groundnuts are rich in protein, fat, and various healthy nutrients. Studies showed that groundnuts may even be useful for weight loss and are linked to reducing risk of heart diseases, said Sirajul Islam, additional director of Rajshahi divisional DAE.

Groundnuts are especially good source of healthy fats, protein, and fibers. They also contain plenty of potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, and B vitamins. Despite being high in calories, groundnuts are nutrient-rich and low in carbohydrates.