Garlic growers seek storehouses
Garlic farmers of Sadar upazila are demanding storehouses for preserving their produce so that they can sell it at the right time for fair price.
District Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Sub-assistant Agriculture Officer Bimal Kumar Dey said garlic has been planted on 529 hectares of land in the district this season, with a target of producing 3,075 tonnes of garlic. About 1,300 farmers are engaged in garlic cultivation, he added.
Less land and expenditure are needed for cultivation of garlic than other crops, farmers said, adding that they get more profit about four months after harvesting period, but cannot keep the crop for that time due to lack of proper places to preserve it .
“I have been cultivating garlic for eight years as I found that it is more profitable than other spices or vegetables,” said Alhaj Acchim Uddin, 72, a garlic farmer of Shibrum village in Kanthalbari union under Sadar upazila.
“During harvesting period, farmers sell garlic for around Tk 2,000 per maund. But after four months, it is normally sold for Tk 3,000 to Tk 5,000 per maund. We have no system for preservation of the produce,” Acchim Uddin said.
“This year, I have cultivated garlic on 35 decimals of land, spending around Tk 35,000. I am expecting a bumper yield of garlic, and hope to get profit of around Tk 1.50 lakh,” he added.
“I cultivated garlic on 20 decimals of land this season. Last season, I cultivated it on 50 decimals and got profit of only Tk 10,000 as I had to sell the produce during harvesting period due to lack of storage space,” said Mohsin Alam, 26, of Gorayee Pear village in Thetraye union under Ulipur upazila.
“I think the government should take initiative of constructing garlic storehouses, like the cold storage for potato. Cultivation will increase as farmers will get fair price,” said Mohsin.
“Garlic is a profitable crop, but there is no storage place for it in our country. Demand of farmers for garlic storage is logical. We are advising them to preserve garlic in the traditional way,” DAE Deputy Director Makbul Hossain said.
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