Farmers reaping benefit from banana farming

Commercial farming of bananas is gaining ground in the northern districts as the farmers are reaping a sound profit from the crops.

Agriculture officer Tariqul Islam of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) Dinajpur region said the land of the region is suitable for banana cultivation. Some 1,098 hectares of land have been brought under banana farming in three- Dinajpur, Thakurgaon and Panchagarh--districts in the region during this Kharif season.

The fruit is considered one of the cash crops in the region due to its potential. The farmers are leaning towards farming as they found it profitable.

Farmers could not get satisfactory profit in cropping for the last two consecutive years due to the adverse effect of the Covid-19 crisis.

They are happy in the current year with the bumper production of the fruit and market prices.

Dashmyle beside the Dhaka-Dinajpur-Thakurgaon highway under Kaharole upazila of Dinajpur district is the largest wholesale banana market in the northern region. The market sits early in the morning and continues till 11 am. Farmers from different areas of the district come to the market with their produce loaded with pick-up vans.

Traders elsewhere in the country visit the market to buy the year-round fruit. A large number of the produce consignment is being transported elsewhere in the country from the market.

Spot visit in the market found a huge supply in the market. Traders and farmers are found busy with the business of the produce. Hundreds of farmers and traders have brought their produce to the market. They sat maintaining a long queue beside the highway trading their produce.

Anil Chandra Roy, 50, a farmer of Naybad village who came to the market to sell his produce said he has cultivated bananas on his one bigha of land this year and sold them at Tk 45,000.

He is farming the fruit on his lands beside other crops every year as he gets profit.

Another farmer, Abdul Jalil said they feel happy as they are getting a reasonable price this year. A farmer can plant 300-400 banana trees on one bigha land. He planted bananas on two bighas of land. The cultivation cost stood around Tk 40,000 while he sold at Tk 90,000. Traders from different areas of the country visit the upazila and buy fruit orchards directly from the farmers.

Mohsin Miah, a trader in the market said, there are two seasons of bananas. One is Kharif and the other is Rabi. Business of the produce of the Kharif season starts at the beginning of the Bengali month Shrabon and ends in Vhadro. The market runs in full swing during the season. The yield is very good this year as there is a huge import in the market. Farmers are happy to sell their produce. The price of a banana depends upon its size and freshness. There are around 7-8 kandi (bunch) of bananas in a tree. A kandi of Malbhog banana (comprising 80 pieces) is being sold at Tk 350-400 and Sagor at Tk 200 in the market.

Farhad Hossain, day labour in the market said some 50-60 labours are working in the market for loading and unloading the produce during the season. He is earning around Tk 800-900 working in the market every day.

Sundurpur union Parishad Chairman of the upazila adjacent to the market Nasirul Islam said business worth around Tk 70-80 lakhs is being transacted every day over the produce in the market. A number of trucks are loaded here with bananas and transported elsewhere in the country every day.

Kaharole upazila agriculture officer Abu Jafor Mohammad Sadeq Hossain said some 390 hectares of land have been brought under banana cultivation in the upazila in this season. Banana cultivation proves a profitable occupation. The farming is increasing every year in the upazilla. The department has been providing the farmers with all sorts of support and assistance to expand their farming.