Capsicum, or sweet pepper, is becoming more popular in Barishal day by day. Because it brings high profit at low cost, farmers are growing more interested in the crop, and it is being grown commercially on wide chars in various parts of the district. Farmers are getting the yields they hoped for. They say that with government support, the southern region could write a golden chapter in the farm economy through capsicum.

A visit to Laraipur char in Barishal Sadar upazila found capsicum growing across several acres alongside winter vegetables, watermelon and phuti or bangi melon. Depending on when they were planted, each plant has already been harvested twice, and more bunches of capsicum are growing on the plants.

Capsicum grower Md Ibrahim said: "I have grown capsicum on about 3 bigha at Laraipur. I have harvested twice so far, and I can harvest two or three more times."

He said: "I have been growing capsicum for about 12 years. Char land is the right place for it. The chars get a lot of sun, so the yield is very good. It also needs a lot of water. On the chars there is sun, and water can easily be supplied from the nearby canal, so we get a good yield."

Grower Munsur Mia said: "Capsicum farming is very expensive. A kilogram of seed costs Tk 2.8 lakh to Tk 3 lakh. It costs Tk 6 to 7 lakh to grow on a bigha of land. Farmers do not get prices in line with the market. We sell to the wholesale depot at Tk 80 to 90 a kg, while it sells for Tk 150 to 220 a kg on the market."

He said: "The agriculture office never helps. They do not even ask after us. We rent land with our own money, produce and sell. If the government gave us seed or loans at low interest, then perhaps we could survive by farming."

Capsicum is being grown not only on Laraipur char but also on the chars of Mehendiganj, Hijla and Muladi. Cultivation has begun on the chars of Amtali, Taltali and Patharghata in Barguna and in Mathbaria in Pirojpur. It was already being grown in Patuakhali and Bhola.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Barishal, a total of 1,353 tonnes of capsicum was produced on 76 hectares in Barishal division in the 2023-24 fiscal year. Of this, capsicum was grown on 2 hectares in Patuakhali and 74 hectares in Bhola, with an average of 7.80 tonnes a hectare. Although it is also grown in Barishal, Pirojpur and Barguna districts, these have not yet been included in the DAE's survey.

GMM Kabir Khan, horticulture specialist of the DAE's Barishal region, said: "Capsicum cultivation in the southern districts is promising. Many farmers have succeeded by growing it commercially. We stand by farmers with advice and encourage them to grow crops suited to the area and season. Because small-scale capsicum farming has been successful, the area will grow further. If farmers get the right price, capsicum can make a major contribution to the farm economy of the southern region."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.