Betel leaf farming is growing day by day in Joypurhat. Because it is more profitable than paddy, potato and other crops, many are turning to it. Farmers in fields of several villages in Panchbibi upazila of the district are achieving great success growing betel leaf through their own skill and initiative. After spending about Tk 1 lakh on a bigha of betel vine plot (baroj), they make a profit of Tk 2 to 2.5 lakh every year from the following year.

But the district has no designated wholesale market for betel leaf, so growers face trouble selling it in neighbouring Dinajpur district. The district agriculture department has promised all-round support to expand the profitable crop in the district.

In the Baguan area of Panchbibi, Pobitro Barman, Atul Chandra, Milon Chandra, Dhiren Roy, Kamal Chandra, Sushil Kumar, Nimai Roy, Binoy Roy, Uttam Saha, Kanailal, Nayan, Madanlal and others have long grown betel leaf to keep up their forefathers' family tradition. Following their success, farmers in various villages, including Mostafizur and Lutfar Rahman of Hajipur, Muktiar of Hatkhola and farmers in the border villages of Chechra, Salua, Tripura, Ratanpur and Atapara, are turning to betel leaf.

Talking to farmers, it was learned that a bigha of betel vine plot initially costs Tk 1 lakh, including earthen ridges, fencing, roofing, labour and the vines. From the following year the costs are very small, because once a plot is built it lasts 40-45 years, apart from repairs to the ridges, fencing and roofing, and yields betel leaf all that time. Baishakh to Shraban is the peak betel season. From Bhadra to Magh production is lower. In Falgun, the growing vines are lowered, so there is hardly any production. When output is high, a plot yields up to 2 poa (128 leaves). Large old leaves sell for Tk 3,000 to 4,000 a poa, medium leaves for Tk 1,500 to 2,500 a poa and small leaves for Tk 500 to Tk 1,400.

Lutfar Rahman of Hajipur, Muktiar of Hatkhola and Pobitro Barman of Baguan said there is no designated wholesale market in the district for selling their betel leaf. So they face trouble going to neighbouring Dinajpur district to sell it, and selling costs more too. Farmers are therefore demanding a betel market in the district.

Sudhendranath Roy, deputy director of the district Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), said: "This season betel leaf has been grown on about 250 bighas in the district. To make farmers more interested in betel leaf, all kinds of modern and technological support are being given."

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