Ginger a money-spinner

Cultivation of ginger in the district is gaining popularity as it has become a money-spinner for farmers.

Ginger farmer Mohor Ali of Karnopur village in Lalmonirhat Sadar said he has cultivated ginger on five decimals of land spending Tk 10,000 this year.

"I hope I will get 12-15 maunds of ginger from the land," he said, adding that he may bring one bigha of land under ginger cultivation if he has the ability to invest in large scale as it is a profitable farming.

He made a profit of Tk 8,000 from selling ginger on five decimals of land last year, said Mohor.

"We sell one maund of ginger at Tk 1200 to Tk 1500 during the season while it is sold at Tk 2500-3000 in off-season," said farmer Seher Ali of Kamlabari village in Aditmari upazila.

According to Lalmonirhat Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) sources, about 550 bighas of land in the district were brought under ginger cultivation this season while it was 450 bighas last year.

Although it becomes profitable farming, many farmers are showing less interest in cultivating the spice due to higher cost of production.

Due to high price of chemical fertiliser and pesticide, they use only organic fertiliser for good yield, Hamidul Islam of the village said.

DAE officially helps farmers to get loan from banks for spice cultivation, said Aditmari Upazila Agriculture Officer Biplob Kumar Mohanto.