Photo : Messenger
Betel nut production is on the rise as a cash crop in the coastal district of Satkhira due to its low production cost compared to other crops. Currently, 450 tons of betel nuts are being produced in Satkhira, with a market value of over Tk 20 crore.
According to the Satkhira District Agriculture Extension Directorate, betel nut production has been increasing in the district, with 1,350 bigha (a unit of land measurement) of land dedicated to betel nut plantation in the current season. This has resulted in the production of 450 tons of betel nuts.
The market price of dry betel nuts is Tk 450 per kilogram, making the market value of the 450 tons of betel nuts approximately Tk 20 crore 25 lakh. Additionally, over the past three years, the district has seen an increase of about 200 bigha in betel nut plantations. In the fiscal year 2020-21, the total betel plantation in the district was 1,150 bigha, which has now increased to 1,350 bigha.
A local farmer, Arvindu Kumar from Tala upazila Kumira village, mentioned that he has a three bigha betel nut garden, where betel nut trees are interplanted with coconut and other crops. He mentioned that these betel nut trees have been bearing fruit for approximately 35 to 40 years, and he earns an annual income of Tk 70000 to 80000 from betel nut sales. These betel nuts are collected by local traders at wholesale prices. Kumar also noted that many farmers in his village cultivate betel nut orchards as well as betel leaves.
The wholesale betel nut market in Satkhira district operates twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays, in Patkelghata market. A significant amount of betel nuts from various areas of the district are traded in this market, with wholesalers from neighboring Jessore and Khulna also participating. Hazrat Ali, a betel nut seller in the market, stated that betel nuts worth Tk 20 to 25 lakh are bought and sold every Tuesday and Friday. Wholesale traders from different areas come to purchase betel nuts and betel leaves from Patkelghata.
Biplab Bhattacharya Sona, a betel nut trader at Satkhira Government College intersection, mentioned that both raw and dried betel nuts are in high demand. He buys betel nuts at wholesale prices from Patkelghata in the district every Tuesday and Friday. The cost for raw betel nuts is Tk 4 to 4.5 thousand per thousand, and the wholesale price for dry betel nuts is Tk 450 per kilogram.
Saiful Islam, Deputy Director of Satkhira District Agricultural Extension Directorate, emphasized that betel nut and betel nut are highly profitable crops in the region. While the production in Satkhira is less compared to neighboring Khulna or Bagerhat districts, it still contributes significantly to the local economy. Many people are now planting betel nut alongside their homesteads, and some farmers are also growing different crops in combination with betel nut as a companion crop. Betel nut and betel nut cultivation are proving to be very profitable ventures.
Messenger/Sajib
