Bumper production, fair prices make Rangpur peanut farmers happy

The farmers are very happy getting a bumper production of 11,734 tonnes of peanut and rewarding market price in Rangpur agriculture region during the just-ended 2022-2023 Robi season.

Market sources said the farmers are selling newly harvested peanuts to the wholesalers at record rates between Tk 5,200 to 5,500 per mound (every 40 kgs) to reap huge profits this season.

“Farmers are earning an average profit of Tk 80,000 by producing 22 to 25 mounds of peanut per acre of land excluding farming costs of about Tk 25,000 per acre,” said peanut trader Mokhlesur Rahman at Rangpur City Bazar.

Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said a target of producing 12,240 tonnes of peanut was fixed from 6,301 hectares of land for the region this time.

“However, farmers finally cultivated peanut on 5,648 hectares of land, less by only 653 hectares of land against the fixed farming target,” said Additional Director of the DAE-Rangpur region Agriculturist Md. Aftab Hossain.

After completing the harvest, farmers produced 11,734 tonnes of peanut, higher by 506 tonnes than the fixed production target in all five Rangpur, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram and Nilphamari districts in the region this time.

During the previous 2021-2022 Robi season, farmers produced 11,988 tonnes of peanut from 6,190 hectares of land in the region.

During the 2020-2022 Robi season, farmers produced 11,087 tonnes of peanut by cultivating the crop on 6,190 hectares of land in the region.

Aftab Hossain said, “Farmers are expanding cultivation of peanut both in the riverine char areas and the mainland every year according to the growing demand of the crop in the country’s boosting foods industries sector.”

Farmers have been reaping more profits getting excellent peanut production every year following expanded cultivation of its high-yielding varieties evolved by Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI) on more land.

Because of lower farming costs and excellent prices with huge demand in the local markets, char and riverside people and common farmers are reaping attractive profits from peanut cultivation in the region in recent years.

Deputy Director of the DAE, Rangpur Agriculturist Md. Obaidur Rahman Mondal said farmers can earn Tk 80,000 by producing 22 to 25 mounds of peanut per acre of land, spending Tk 25,000 to Tk 27,000 as farming costs per acre.

“Farmers and char people are expanding cultivation of peanut every year during the last 14 years following a huge boost of the food industries increasing demand for the agro-commodity,” Mondal said.

Farmers Yasin Ali, Nur Mohammad and Abdur Rahman of village Char Biswanath in Kawnia upazila of Rangpur said they cultivated peanuts on 50 decimals to 100 decimals of sandy char land on the Teesta riverbed this time.

“After completing harvest last month, I got 12 mounds of peanut and sold the crop from 50 decimals of sandy char land at Tk 5,500 per mound to reap a huge profit excluding the farming costs,” Mohammad said.

Farmers Arman Hossain and Saidul Islam of Char Gorokmandal village in Phulbari upazila of Kurigram said they cultivated peanuts on two acres of char land on the Dharla riverbed this time.

“I got a super bumper production of peanut after completing harvest and earned a net profit of Tk 90,000 excluding all related costs for farming and harvesting of the crop,” said Islam.

Similarly, farmers of Char Arazi Hariswar, Gupidanga, Prannath Char, Char Najirdaho, Char Gonai, Char Haricharan, Dhushmarar Char and other char villages under Kawnia upazila expressed happiness over the bumper yield of peanuts and excellent market price.