Home ›› 14 Dec 2022 ›› Nation
Bombay chilli cultivation has become a good source of income for southern region farmers of the country.
Local sources said exporting the chilli from the region has earned a good amount of foreign currency in the past decade.
Currently, the major importers of this chilli are Japan and India.
Seeing the success of this, many farmers are now earning huge profits by just cultivating chillies throughout the year and bringing great changes in their lives. Farmers and businessmen are earning crores of Tk worth annually selling the chilli produced in Barishal’s Banaripara, Patuakhali’s Kalapara, Jhalakathi Sadar and Pirojpur’s Nesarabad upazilas.
The chilli produced in these areas is also popular across the country. As the demand for Bombay chilli increased, commercial cultivation of it became widespread.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), the chilli is cultivated in many areas of Atghorkuriana union of Nesarabad, Bhimruli of Jhalakathi Sadar, Iluhar of Banaripara, and Nilganj union of Kalapara.
The chilli is commercially cultivated on 325 acres of land in Atghorkuriana union of Nesarabad, 375 acres in Gabharamchandrapur, Kirtipasha, and Nabagram unions of Jhalakathi Sadar, 100 acres in Iluhar, Bisharkandi, Udykhati, and Sayedkathi unions of Banaripara, and 200 acres in Nilganj union of Kalapara.
About 6,000 people are involved in chilli cultivation in these four upazilas. Many have filled up their fallow lands to cultivate this spicy crop.
Chapal Krishna Nath, Nesarabad upazila agriculture officer said Bombay chilli is being commercially cultivated in more than 23 villages of the region.
About 4,000-4,500 Bombay chilli seeds are planted per acre and each plant bears about 150-200 chilli per season. A farmer can profit up to Tk two lakh annually from one acre of chilli field if the yield is good. There are many small and large-scale chilli fields on both sides of the road that stretches from Banaripara’s Rayerhat to Nesarabad’s Atghorkuriana.
Export trading company Bangla Agro, a major buyer of chilli in this area makes dried chilli powder in their factory and exports it.
Kamal Hossain Chowdhury, the Managing Director of Bangla Agro, said there is a significant demand for Bombay chilli in Japan. It is a staple spice used mostly in prepacked food.
“Because of its flavour and fragrance, the chilli produced in this region has a great demand. A Malaysian trader has also expressed interest in buying chilli from this region,” he said.
A weekly wholesale market is held every Monday and Friday in Jindakathi Durga Temple ground where buyers and sellers from all over the region come to buy chilli.
Humayun Kabir, the lessee of the market, said the chilli is mostly sold during the Bengali months of Falgun to Jaishtha, however, it is available all year nonetheless.
About Tk 20-30 lakh worth of chilli is sold per week in the market.
Monir Hossain, a chilli trader in the Kuriana area said he buys about three lakh pieces of chilli from the market and exports them to different parts of the country.
Farmer Shahadat Bepari said Bombay chilli is usually sold at Tk 20-60 per 100 pieces depending on the variety. But during the off-season, the price goes up to Tk 80-100. He added that lata, shada, kalo, dholshai, and ghritakumari varieties are in most demand.
Every Thursday and Sunday a haat is organised in the Pajiputhi area, and every Saturday and Wednesday a haat is organised in the Shatadoshkathi area of Jhalakathi Sadar upazila.
However, Bombay chillies are sold every day in Bhimruli Bazar of the upazila. Wholesalers buy the produce from farmers of the adjacent villages and sell them in the market.
Matin Howladar, a wholesaler of Pajiputhi para market, said they buy chilli at the price of Tk 300 per 1,000 pieces and sell them to exporters and traders from other districts for a good profit.
“Large shipments of Bombay chilli go to Dhaka, Chattogram, and Sylhet from our area on a regular basis,” he said.
Ibrahim, a farmer of Islampur village in Nilganj union, cultivated over 700 chilli plants on 18 decimals of land.
“My total production cost was Tk 55,000 so far. I expect to sell over Tk two lakh worth of chilli if the harvest is good,” he added.
His neighbour Nazrul Islam planted 500 chilli saplings on 12 decimals of land and plans to expand his farm in the future since the business is profitable.
Dr Sahidul Islam, chief scientific officer of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Patuakhali said grain crops are produced less in the district than in other areas. However, a large number of vegetables are cultivated in the region.
“Farmers in this region raise the land and build polythene canopy over it and grow Bombay chilli under it. Farmers are becoming more interested in Bombay chilli cultivation since it is very profitable,” he said, adding that farmers can make a profit of over Tk 50,000 per bigha of land.
Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Jhalakathi Deputy Director Md Monirul Islam said the Bombay chilli can be very expensive depending on the variety, however, farmers do not profit much from it. “The authorities should monitor the market so that instead of middlemen and retailers, the farmers can reap the benefit of their harvest,” he added.
Barishal DAE Deputy Director Md Harun-ur-Rashid said there the region is suitable for Bombay chilli cultivation.
“Bombay chilli cultivation in this region has bright prospects as an exportable product. With proper funding the industry can expand further and earn a significant amount of foreign exchange,” he said.
