Farmers in Mirsarai, Chattogram, expect to sell Tk 6.5 crore worth of taro this season. Most of the taro has already been sold, and farmers are now busy lifting the rest from the fields and selling it at market.

According to the upazila agriculture office, taro has been grown on 150 acres in the upazila this year. Of the upazila's 16 unions and two municipalities, Maghadia union grows the most. Its land is relatively low-lying, so no other crop can be grown there, and farmers have grown taro for generations. Taro is also grown on low land in Saherkhali, Haitkandi, Khaiyachhara and Katachhara unions and other parts of the upazila.

Farmer Shamsul Alam said: "I have been growing taro for about 25 years. This year again I grew it on 65 decimals of land. I have already sold about 1 lakh 95 thousand of taro, stolons and popa. I can keep selling for another 15 days."

Shahidul Islam, a farmer from ward 9 of Mirsarai municipality, said: "I grew taro on 70 decimals. As my land is low, water stands on it most of the year, so for many years I have profited from growing taro. This year again I have sold taro worth about Tk 2 lakh."

Not only Shahidul, many farmers in the upazila are involved in taro farming, and it has made them largely self-reliant. Farmer Bhola Mia said: "Our village grows the most taro in the upazila. Taro has been grown here since our fathers' and grandfathers' time, and we are still growing it."

Labourers Shahadat Hossain and Kamrul, who lift taro from the fields, said: "Every year in this season we work at lifting taro. We get Tk 800 for lifting 150 taro and getting them ready for sale. If we start at 5am, we finish by 12 noon and can do other work for the rest of the day."

Abdul Karim, a farmer from the Kochua area of Mirsarai municipality, said: "This year I grew taro on 30 decimals and spent about Tk 50,000. I sell a hundred taro for Tk 3,000 to Tk 5,000 depending on size. Taro stolons are sold at Tk 1,500 a maund."

Mirsarai upazila agriculture officer Pratap Chandra Roy said: "This season 500 farmers grew taro on 150 acres in the upazila, producing 3,300 tonnes. The current market price of taro is Tk 20 a kg. At that rate, Tk 6 crore 60 lakh worth of taro will be sold. This year has broken the record. Taro stolons and flowers (popa) are not included in this calculation."

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