Sunday | 12 January 2025 | Reg No- 06
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Sunday | 12 January 2025 | Epaper

Cultivation of medicinal plants on rise in Natore

Published : Saturday, 22 April, 2017 at 12:00 AM  Count : 363
SM Sedrul Huda David
NATORE, Apr 21: The farmers of the district are gradually leaning towards the cultivation of medicinal plants as the farming has already turned into a profitable venture alongside other crops.
At present, six kinds of valuable medicinal plants are being cultivated in a larger scale at 15 villages under Sadar upazila of the district. Besides, the farmers of the neighbouring villages have also come forward to cultivating the plants.
The villages that produce medicinal plants are-  Kholabaria, Laxmipur, Borboria, Gazipur, Chowry, Dakkhinpur, Ibrahimpur, Habitpur, Darabpur, Dattapara, Fatengapara, Goaldanga, Mokrampur and Boroharishpur under Sadar upazila of the district.
The medicinal plants which are being cultivated in those villages are- Aloe, Shimulmul, Ashawgandha, Misreedana, Shatamul and Kalomegh.
According to official records in the year 2011, the production of Aloe was 5,000 tons, Shimulmul 345 tons, Ashawgandha 18 tonnes, Misreedana 20 tonnes and others 160 tonnes.
While in the year 2016 the production of Aloe was 13,130 tonnes, Shimulmul 1,272 tonnes, Ashawgandha 18 tonnes, Misreedana 50 tonnes and others were 140 tonnes.
The sources further said Laxmipur village has earned a remarkable success in cultivation of medicinal plant in likeness with other villages. A large number of traders from different parts of the country come in this village to buy medicinal plants every day. That is why; the village is well-known as a village of medicinal plants to the customers of the country and abroad,
It further said, the farmers related to such cultivation, work in various groups in terms of production and marketing.
Some 395 farmers produce medicinal plants, 15 individuals supply seeds, nine farmers produce seedlings and supply to the cultivators, 12 farmers work for processing, 32 are stockists of the goods, 22 are working as wholesalers and retailers alongside 250 hawkers and farias, while 17 individuals are working as 'hekim' and 'Kabiraj' (practitioner of medicinal plants) to boost the production.
Under this situation, the farmers of the village are very happy. Most of them have one or two gardens of medicinal plants adjacent to their houses, it was observed during visit.
Afaj Uddin, a farmer and 'kabiraj' of medicinal plants of village Khamarbari Laxmipur at first he  cultivated only 5 plants at his own plot adjacent to his house about 50 years ago. Later it spread from a village to another village widely. At present, he has 15 kathas of land in which he cultivates it regularly.
Moreover, Afaj Uddin is famous for producing plants, medicine and treatment in the country and abroad. He got international award for his contribution in this field.
Shahidul Islam, a farmer of Kathalbaria New Bazar village said, he cultivates Aloe on 3 bighas of land and get good profit from this every year.
Md Akhtar Hossain, a farmer of village Laxmipur said, he cultivates Aloe on 24 kathas of land and get Tk 5 lakh as profit from this every year. He said, sometimes he faces trouble due to unfavourable weather which causes a big damage to the plants. He said, one bale of medicinal plants weighing 50 kg is sold at Tk 600 to Tk 1,000 in the market.
Abdul Quddus, a farmer of Kholabaria village said, he cultivated Ashawgandha on four bighas of land spending Tk 1 lakh and earned Tk 2.50 lakh against it.
Mafizul Islam, another farmer of this village said, he cultivated Misreedana, Shatamul and Amrul on 12 kathas of land spending Tk 5,000 and gained a profit of Tk 20,000.
Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer Dr Saiful Alam informed that climate and soil of the district is suitable for cultivating medicinal plants side by side other crops. Laxmipur Kholabaria village under Sadar upazila is well-known for producing medicinal plants.
He said that Taiwan Hsin Lin Enterprises Co Ltd bought 250 tonnes Aloe in the year 2015 and 306 metric tonnes in 2016 from the local farmers and made juice from the plant. The company is very eager to this and will buy 900 tonnes Aloe from the district in the current year.
Besides, many traders and local companies expressed their interest for buying this.
He further said that Aloe has a bright prospect among other medicinal plants here. At present it has a great demand in markets of the country and abroad. To boost the production, necessary advices and all kinds of technical supports are given to the growers regularly, he added.


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