The farming cultivation of water chestnut locally known as ‘paniphal’ has increased in Bogura. It is usually grown in normal water bodies and low land as a seasonal fruit. The fruit looks like a ‘singara’ , a very popular snack. So people in the urban area called it water ‘singara’.
Paniphal grows in canals and ponds in Bogura. Farmers are interested in farming of the fruit because of its financial benefit. So, day by day the more and more farmers are involving themselves in paniphal farming. The expense of farming is less but profit is high. These are the main reasons that farmers of this district are very much interested in farming ‘paniphal’.
Local farmers are very much delighted for the good profit. The fruit is sent to different districts of Northern region from Bogura
According to Agriculture Extension Directorate, in Bengali calendar month Ashar to Bhadra the seeds were sown. Three or four times fruits were collected from one tree. The fruits are harvested December. Some 37 hectares of land are brought under paniphan farming with a target of 11, 00 tons yield. Gabtoli, Shibganj and Sadar Upazila are well known for ‘paniphal’ farming.
Farmers Abdus Samad, Abu Bokkar, Abdur Rahman and many others have cultivated ‘paniphal’ beside By-pass road of Sabgram – Briya area under Sadar upazila. They informed that, they used to grow only ‘paniphal’ as these are low-lying areas. A big local bazar of paniphal has been set up under Chalopara bridge. Around 100 mounds of paniphal are traded here. The cost of every maund of the fruit is about Tk 700 to Tk 12,00 . The cost of the ripe fruit is more than that of the unripe.
Agriculturist Md Motaleb Rahman BPAA, Deputy Director of Agriculture Extension Directorate, Bogura said that this fruit is very delicious. This tasty fruit are supplied to different districts of the country from here.