Fair price grabs chilli growers' attention
Poverty-stricken chilli farmers in Jamuna and Bangalee river basin areas of Bogra's Shariakandi are happy with bumper yield and fair price of the spice this season.
Upazila agriculture office sources said the chilli has been cultivated in 12 upazilas of the district but farmers, mostly in chars in Sariakandi, are seeing bumper production of the vegetable.
Around 3500 hectares of land were targetted to be brought under chilli cultivation but the growers cultivated chilli on 4,200 hectares this year and each plant bears at least 50-55 chillies.
Initially, the price of the green chilli decreased but after drying for 16 to18 days, its price increases to Tk 4800-5000 a maund, said the sources.
Farmers Mohsin, Sher Ali and Prodip Kumar of Koromjapara char in Haat Sherpur union said with the decrease of water from the upper stream, they cultivated chilli on the flooded char land from the third week of August to the middle of October and saw a bumper yield.
Earlier, except chilli, sesame, linseed, mustard, maize and lentils were cultivated but now-a-days, the growers of the char area have been showing interest in chilli cultivation due to its fair price, they said.
Fazlul Karim of Char Haat Sherpur in Jamuna said he spent Tk 8-10 thousand for per bigha of land and expected to get a profit of Tk 40 thousand from each bigha.
Sariakandi Upazila Agriculture Officer Md Shahadutuzzaman said rapid growth of plants on alluvial soil and high profit encouraged the farmers to cultivate chilli extensively.
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