Groundnut cultivation is gaining popularity among the farmers in all five upazilas of Panchagarh district recently as soil and weather condition are very suitable here for its cultivation.
This year, farmers of the district and the DAE are happy over the bumper groundnut yielding and its fair price. They have started harvesting of groundnuts from their respective lands with much enthusiasm.
Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) office said a total of 11,435 hectares of land have been brought under groundnut cultivation this year with the production target of 20,870 tonnes.
"Farmers of the district have cultivated the high yielding groundnut on more lands as they get a lucrative price of their harvested crop," the sources said, adding that per mound of groundnut is being sold at Taka 4,000 to Taka 4,200 in the local markets now.
Sukumar Roy, a farmer of Sabouspara village under Debiganj upazila here, said: "last year, I have cultivated groundnut on my two bighas of land at a cost of only Taka 13,000. I have earned Taka 27,000 by selling those in the local markets after meeting all the expenditure."
He said: "I have cultivated groundnut on my four bighas of land and I am expecting Taka 50,000 more from its production this year."
Another farmer Sunil Kumar of the aforesaid village said: "I have been getting good profit through cultivating groundnut on commercial basis for three years."
Deputy Director of the DAE Md, Rias Uddin told BSS that they provided quality seeds and fertilizers among the farmers at free of cost. The farmers of the district are showing great interest in cultivating groundnut because the high land is good for groundnut cultivation and land of the district is comparatively higher than other districts, he added.
Besides, the DAE has also provided training to the farmers for boosting the production and the commercial banks including Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank have given short-term easy loans to the farmers for cultivating groundnut on their land, the DAE official mentioned.
