Low costs, less labour, higher yields and good market prices are drawing more farmers in Bhairab to peanut cultivation, and the area under the crop is growing day by day. Traders say the peanuts grown here are of high quality and in wide demand across the country.

Farmers say they have been losing money on Boro rice for several years because market prices are below production costs. Peanuts, by contrast, give higher yields at lower cost and with less work, and fetch much better prices, so their interest is growing because of the profits.

According to the upazila agriculture office, the char land of the upazila, washed by the Meghna and Brahmaputra, has sandy loam soil well suited to peanuts. This year peanuts have been grown on 455 hectares in the Manikdi, Moutupi, Mendipur, Aganagar, Srinagar and Badhunagar areas of seven unions. Farmers are becoming more interested every year, and the agriculture department is supporting them with advice and help.

Farmer Nazmul Mia of Moutupi village in Sadekpur union said growing peanuts costs Tk 3,000 to 4,000 a bigha, while a yield of six to seven maunds sells for Tk 19,000 to 22,000. Peanut plants are also used as balanced cattle feed and as cooking fuel. Because of the higher profit at lower cost, farmers are turning to peanuts as a profitable crop, he said.

Farmer Dulal Mia of Manikdi village in Gazaria union said: "I grew peanuts on 3 khani of land and got 500 kg from each khani. I grow peanuts because the price is more than double that of rice. Many farmers grow them because the cost is low. Peanut plants are also tasty feed for cattle."

Bhairab peanut trader Muslim Mia said the high quality of the peanuts grown here means there is wide demand across the country. He buys from farmers and sells in different parts of the country. At the height of the season, peanuts trade at Tk 3,200 to Tk 3,400 a maund, rising by another Tk 800-900 off-season.

He said 15-20 processing mills have grown up around peanuts here. From sun-drying to sorting, they employ several hundred women as well as men. The women earn Tk 800-900 a day, helping their households.

Bhairab Upazila Agriculture Officer Aklima Begum said farmers in Bhairab are becoming more interested in peanuts because the cost is relatively low. Peanuts have been grown on 455 hectares in the upazila this year. The agriculture department is advising and helping local farmers on expanding cultivation, improved seed for better yields and disease control, she said.

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