Peanut farming brings smile to char farmers,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Large areas of sandy chars (landmass emerged from riverbed) in the Jamuna basin in Fulchhari upazila under the district are now covered with green peanut plants as a good number of poor and landless farmers are cultivating it to change their lot.

This season 570 hectares of land on around 20 chars in the area have been brought under peanut cultivation which has appeared as more profitable than that of traditional crops like paddy, maize, sugarcane or wheat, said sources of upazila agriculture office.

Harvest of early variety peanut has begun in some areas and it is selling for Tk 1800 to 2000 per maund.

Eight to ten maunds of peanut is produced per bigha and the process of cultivation, from sowing seeds to harvesting, requires a little effort.

Peanut farming is spreading especially in Fazlupur Arendabari, Fulchhari and Gajaria unions in Fulchhari upazila as many poor and landless farmers, many of them from other areas, are cultivating hybrid variety of the item as sharecroppers.

"It needs only Tk 1,500 to cultivate peanut on a bigha of land. Sandy chars in river basin areas are used for the purpose, as those lands are not fit for cultivation of other crops," said Sadek Ali, a landless farmer of Gajaria Char.

"I cultivated peanut on two bighas of land and expecting at least 18 maunds of yield. Last year the price of green peanut was Tk 700 to Tk 800 per maund, but his season the price has increased to Tk 1800-Tk 2000," said Abdul Majid of Char Khatiyamari village.

Huge quantities of peanut are being transported from Fulchhari market to different districts and dried peanut is selling for Tk 2200 to Tk 2400 per maund, said Mizanur Rahman, a peanut wholesaler at Fulchhari market.

While visiting Fulchhari market a couple of days ago, this correspondent saw huge quantities of peanut arriving from distant char lands by boats or rickshaw vans. Many small growers brought the produce in gunny bags.

More and more farmers are getting interested in peanut cultivation in fallow char lands, said Shamser Ali, a grower of Char Kalasona.

"Now farmers are cultivating peanut in char areas along Jamuna River basin at their own initiative. It bears prospect of better cultivation and yield if the government extends help," said Yousuf Ranan Mandol, upazila agriculture officer of Fulchhari.