Farmers frustrated for low yield, price fall

Betel nut growers in the district are frustrated as both the production and the price have fallen this year.

This year the yield of betel nut is four to five times less than the previous year as there was serious drought during the flowering period, said Md Khalil, a grower of Khalisakhali village under Pirojpur Sadar upazila.

Now one kuri (210 pieces) of betel nut is selling for Tk 150 to 250 although it was up to Tk 400 last year, said Abdus Sobahan, a wholesale buyer at Chalisa Bazar in Pirojpur Sadar upazila.

Visiting several betel nut wholesale markets in the district, it was found that buyers and sellers are passing busy time in buying and selling betel nuts.

This crop grows well in different areas of the district, especially Pirojpur Sadar, Zianagar, Kawkhali and Bhandaria upazilas.

Traders from adjacent Bagerhat, Khulna and other districts come to Pirojpur by truck or trawlers and buy betel nut.

Wholesale buyers send it to different areas including Dhaka and a few northern districts.

Traders store betel nuts by drying or sinking in the ditch for selling them next year.

“Like me, a large number of traders failed to sell their betel nut that was bought last year. This has resulted in price fall," said wholesale buyer Zakir Hossain.

There are betel nut gardens covering 4,600 hectares of land in the district, said sources of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Pirojpur.

Md Abul Hossain Talukder, deputy director of Pirojpur DAE, said, "Betel nut grows well in the district but the yield has decreased this year. Although betel nut earns cash, it has hardly any food value. And so, we are inspiring farmers to cultivate fruits and vegetables."