Once planted, banana plants can yield well for three years in a row, which no other crop can do.

Banana farming has become popular in Dhanbari, Tangail. With its profits, farmers' interest in bananas is growing. Farmers say they are turning to bananas because they lost money growing paddy, and many in the upazila have become self-reliant by growing bananas.

Several banana growers in the upazila say bananas bring more profit than other crops. In the early stage, spices, all kinds of vegetables, paddy and other crops can be grown as intercrops alongside bananas. Banana saplings grow quickly after planting and bear fruit soon: saplings planted in Baishakh start yielding from Agrahayan.

Bananas grow well on land where water does not stand. Depending on the variety, 250 to 350 banana saplings can be planted on a bigha, and one plant can give 2 to 2.5 maunds of bananas. Although growing bananas on a bigha costs at most Tk 20,000 to 25,000, bananas worth three to four times that can be sold. Once planted, banana plants can yield well for three years in a row, which no other crop can do.

Farmers say that because bananas from this area are of good quality, wholesalers from different parts of the country come and buy directly from growers and take them to Dhaka, Sylhet, Chattogram, Cumilla, Barishal and elsewhere.

Enquiries show that Tangail's farmers grow Champa, Meher Sagar, Manki and other varieties commercially, all of which bear fruit soon after planting.

Khalilur Rahman, a farmer from Koroya village in the upazila, said: "This time I grew bananas on 4 bighas. It cost Tk 20,000 to 25,000 a bigha. After all costs I will make a profit of about Tk 60,000 to 65,000. There is no trouble selling bananas: wholesalers come from all over the country to take them, and they can also be sold at the local market."

Farmers Sumir Hossain and Liton Mia said: "Bananas yield well in our area. Because farmers here do not lose money on bananas, interest keeps growing day by day." Depending on the type, a bunch of Sagar banana sells here for Tk 150 to 200, cooking bananas for Tk 350 to 400 and Champa bananas for Tk 200 to 250.

Dhanbari Upazila Agriculture Extension Officer Jannatul Ferdous said: "Bananas have been grown on 70 hectares in the upazila this year. Because banana farming is profitable, growers' and farmers' interest in it keeps increasing. Local people have grown bananas because it involves little hassle. The upazila agriculture department is also giving banana farmers various kinds of advice so that they can profit."

Source: Dhaka Tribune. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.