Boom in Tulsi farming
Growers in five upazilas of Gaibandha making good profit selling the herb leaves
Tulsi (a medicinal plant) cultivation is gradually gaining popularity among farmers at different villages in the district due to fair prices of the herb leaves.
The villages include Ramchandrapur and Muraripur in Palashbari upazila, Kunjamohipur and Khordakamarpur of Sadullapur upazila and Shahpara Bhabanipur in Sadar upazila, Sreepur and Ghoshpara in Sundarganj upazila and Barokhodapur in Gobindaganj upazila.
As the growers do not need to use pesticide or chemical fertilizers to grow the herb, they have been making profits every year by selling its leaves to herbal medicine manufacturers, said an agriculture officer.
The department of agriculture is encouraging farmers to grow tulsi alongside cultivating usual crops for making additional profit.
On a recent visit to Bujruk Bristipur village in Palashbari upazila, this correspondent found the surroundings of almost all the houses covered in greenery as the villagers cultivated the herb there.
Saju Mia, a grower of the village, said “I have cultivated tulsi on 34 decimals of land. I’m expecting a better yield this time. I got Tk 18 thousand from half bigha of land last year,”
Tulsi was cultivated on one bigha of land spending Tk 7000 to Tk 8000, said Saju, adding that he got one maund of tulsi leaves from each decimal of land and sold the leaves at Tk 1000 to Tk 1200.
Another farmer Aytal Hossain of the same village said he cultivated tulsi on 80 decimals of land this year.
Lat year, he planted tulsi on 30 decimals of land and earned Tk 35 thousand, which is more profitable than other traditional crops.
Besides, it takes three and half months to grow the herb after sowing its seeds, said Golam Hossain, a resident of Kettirpara village in the upazila, adding that unlike other crops, it hardly requires any cost for production. Moreover, herbs can be grown round the year.
Herbal medicine manufacturers have deployed agents for collecting tulsi leaves from the growers, he said, adding that the agents later supplied the leaves to their respective herbal medicine factories, he added.
Palashbari Upazila Agriculture Officer Azizul Islam said farmers are showing interest in farming other herbs besides tulsi for earning good profit.