Farmers of six upazilas in Jhenaidah produced about 1,500 tonnes of dried turmeric on their 6,300 hectares of land in Kharip-1 season. Approximate price of the spicy crop was over Taka 45 crore in the season, said farmers and the officials of the department of agricultural extension (DAE) of Khamarbari in Jhenaidah. Average yield of the crop was 4.28 tonnes on each hectare on an average. It will play role in changing the socio-economic state of the farmers.
They had produced 1,464 tones of dried turmeric on their 6,273 hectares of land in the last season where they had received 4.28 tones on each hectare on an average. It has been helping develop their socio-economic state partially.
The farmers of Padamdi, Raninagar, Charia, Kazipara, Ratanpur, Basantapur, Sheikhpara, Kanapukuria, Mohammadpur, Jadabpuar, Chariarbeal, Golaknagar, have been playing role in producing the spicy crops. Over a thousand of people, most of them women were engaged in processing the turmeric boiling the same for making dried powder. 55 to 60 maunds of turmeric is usually produced in each bigha of land where the farmers can receive Taka 40 to 45 thousand excluding seeds, fertilizer, irrigation, huge pesticides and weedicides. The fresh turmeric is sold at Taka 2,000 to 2,200 a maund for 40 kilograms, they said.
Nure Alam alias Milton, a turmeric trader at Chriarbeal area of Shailkupa when contacted said huge traders like him make the turmeric dried and sale them in the wholesale market. Huge men and women work there to process the turmeric. Milton said they purchasing the fresh turmeric from the farmers.
Dae sources said, the farmers in Jhenaidah are expecting better yield and production on turmeric in the current Kharip 1 season. They are going to harvest at least 6,500 tones of the spicy crop in the season which might change their socio-economic state. The farmers of six Jhenaidah upazilas had produced 1,464 tones of dried turmeric on their 6,273 hectares of land in the last season where they had produced 4.28 tonnes on each hectare on an average, said the farmers and the officials of the department of agricultural extension (DAE) Jhenaidah Khamarbari.
Office sources of the deputy director of DAE Jhenaidah Khamarbari when contacted said they had taken target to produce 6,542 tonnes of the dried turmeric on 1,470 hectares of land in the current Kharip-1 season in Jhenaidah Sadar, Kaliganj, Kotchandpur, Moheshpur, Shailkupa and Harinakundu upazilas. The farmers had brought 1,451 hectares of land. They had produced a total of 6,273 tonnes of turmeric on 1,464 hectares of land in the last season which had ensured 4.28 tonnes on each hectare on an average.
Deputy director of Jhenaidah DAE Asgar Ali, when contacted said the turmeric has a potential throughout the country and the farmers of the district are concern about their profit. The crop has been ensuring better yield and profit for the farmers and they have been showing more interest in farming it than rice, wheat, jute or such other crops. Further, huge men and women almost belongs to poor and needy families engage themselves in processing the turmeric in the local mini factories to earn their bread. As the turmeric bringing benefit for the farmers, the farming area might be increased in the coming seasons, the deputy director expressed his opinion.