Betel leaf farming makes growers self-reliant in Rajshahi

RAJSHAHI, Nov 24: Betel leaf farming plays an important role to the socio-economic development of the farmers in the district. Meanwhile, many betel leaf farmers in six upazilas of the district have become self-reliant and successful through it.
Witnessing enormous success, farmers have become more encouraged and set up 'baraja', unit of betel leaf, and they are now doing well. A farmer can earn Tk 2 to 3 lakh farming one bigha of land, said sources.
While talking to The Daily Observer, some betel leaf growers said that now-a-days per poya (32 bari equal to one poya) of big size betel-leaf is being sold at Tk 3,000 to 3,500.  The middle size is being sold at Tk 1,600 to 2,000 and the small size is at Tk 500 to 700. They are now passing very busy time in taking care of their gardens.
Some diseases of the plant in root, leaf and steam cause a huge loss to the farmers every year due to the water logging caused by rain, but this year the overall conditions of the gardens are well.
For this reason, meanwhile, many of farmers demanded the authorities concerned to set up betel-leaf research centre here to detect the diseases and solve it. There are over 25,000 betel-leaf gardens in six upazilas across the district and several lakh of people are either directly or indirectly involved in this sector, they added.
According to Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), that the farmers have brought a total of 1,821 hectares of land for betel leaf cultivation this year with the production target of  34,954 metric tons, worth about Tk 90 to 100 crore. At present there are more than 25,000 betel-leaf gardens in six upazilas- Paba, Mohonpur, Baghmara, Puthia, Durgapur and Charghat of the district.
Muhammad Ali, farmer of Chandapur village under Bagmara upazila of the district, said he has become successful through betel leaf farming. As the first betel leaf grower in his locality, Ali earned fame as a successful farmer in the region. By dint of his hardworking and relentless efforts towards the betel leaf farming, Ali built a concrete house for the first time in the area, he added.
  Nazim Uddin, farmer of Mougachi village under Mohonpur upazila, said that he break up his betel-leaf garden in several times and re-planted for root and branch diseases. The agriculture officials would not able to give right suggestions and solve the diseases, he added. 
Mohonpur Mougachi High School Agriculture teacher Nurul Islam said Rajshahi's betel-leaf has become a very popular across the country because of its taste. Meanwhile, farmers have started to export betel-leaf in Saudi Arabia, UK and other Middle East countries. Now they demand for a betel-leaf research centre to solve all the diseases of betel-leafs, he added.
     Deputy Director (DD) of DAE said that their agriculturists are suggesting the farmers how to protect the betel-leaf gardens from different diseases like leaf and rot rotten. Meanwhile, they have informed the government about the farmer's demands to set up a betel-leaf research centre here.
  There have many reasons behind the causes of diseases in the betel plantations. If the farmers take proper care of the betel-leaf gardens, then the diseases would be reduce, DD of DAE hopped.