Perilla, a promising oilseed crop
Farmers hope to make use of high export potential
Perilla frutescens, an exotic oilseed plant with numerous health benefits, has high export potential as there is considerable global demand for the crop, especially in China, Korea and Japan, according to experts.
Some 55 upazilas across Bangladesh have been growing perilla since 2020 thanks to the country's conducive weather and soil conditions.
Perilla has different names across the world as it is called shiso in Korea, bhangira in India and bon tulsi in Bangladesh.
Moreover, the oilseed plant is richer in omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids that are known to prevent cardiac ailments, making it a good substitute for cod liver oil among vegetarians.
Farmers say perilla is a short duration crop that takes less time to grow than mustard plants. Perilla plants mature in just 60 to 70 days while mustard plants take 90 to 100 days.
Early August is the best time for planting perilla as it can be harvest by the end of October, after which the land can be used for producing winter and summer crops, they added.
A South Korean variety of the herb, called Perilla-1, that is suitable for the country's soil and climate conditions was registered with the Bangladesh Seed Board in January 2020.
After it was subsequently released to local farmers, many of them obtained yields beyond their expectations, which helped expand cultivation in the following years.
Around 17 hectares across 45 upazilas were brought under perilla cultivation in 2021 while the acreage has since increased to 35 hectares with Dinajpur, Nilphamari, Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Rajbari and Khulna being the largest producing districts.
Syed Rokon Uzzaman, an emerging entrepreneur of Dinajpur's Kaharol upazila, said he intended to cultivate perilla ever since he first heard of it.
As such, he rented three acres of land in Tetulia upazila of Panchagarh in 2021 to starting farming the crop.
"I got around a tonne of perilla seeds last year," Rokon said, adding that production was less than adequate due to unfavourable weather and his lack of experience in growing the crop.
An average of about 650 kilogrammes of perilla seed can be produced on each acre of land.
This year though, Rokon has leased 12 acres of land in Sultanpur village under Bochaganj upazila of Dinajpur, where he planted the seeds produced last year at a cost of Tk 50,000 per acre.
Rokon went on to say that perilla farming is profitable for its high demand in international markets while growers do need to put in as much arduous labour that they would for other crops.
"It is cost-effective too as there is less need for fertiliser and pesticides than other plants," he said.
Rokon's perilla saplings planted in early August started flowering around 15 days back and most of them will be ripe for harvesting by the end of October.
The seeds will then be taken out through a conventional threshing method after harvesting.
"I contacted a Korean company last year and they were interested to buy a large quantity of perilla seeds," Rokon added.
Citing how a kilogramme of oil can be extracted from four kilogrammes of perilla oilseed, Rokon urged local investors to build related processing industries in the country.
Perilla oil can currently only be found at super shops with prices ranging from Tk 2,200 to Tk 2,700 per litre depending on the country of origin.
Other than catering to the domestic demand for edible oil, the crop would have high export potential if the government takes initiatives to ensure its smooth access to the global market.
"If I get average production this year, then I could get good profit if the produced seed is exported to targeted countries such as Korea and China," Rokon said.
Md Abdul Kayum Majumdar, project director of the DAE's Khamarbari office in Dhaka, said farmers in the country are not interested in cultivating generic oilseed plants as those lack profit.
"However, perilla could be the best solution for them," he added.
Majumdar then said that perilla was cultivated in the country on an experimental basis since 2015 until commercial production began in 2020.
"It has huge potential of earning foreign currency," he said.
Majumdar also said that a sample of locally produced perilla oilseed was sent to different countries last year with all recipients, including Korea and China, showing interest to get the oilseed from Bangladesh from this season.