Farmers in Sonargaon, Narayanganj, are seeing profits from commercial banana farming. Because bananas earn more at lower cost than other fruit, farmers are becoming interested in growing them, and many now live comfortably with their families on banana farming alone. One of them is farmer Abdus Sobhan (60). Out of a genuine love of farming, he planted a large banana orchard three years ago on 3.5 bighas of his own land in Mosurakanda village in Sonargaon's Sanmandi union.

A visit found that most of the banana plants have borne fruit despite many adverse conditions, and he was smiling with satisfaction. People from nearby villages come to see the orchard all the time, and some ask his advice on growing bananas. He tends the plants regularly, including applying fertiliser and pesticide.

"There are more than 1,000 banana plants of three varieties on the land," Abdus Sobhan said. "The yield is good, though a little lower than last time, because more than a hundred plants were damaged in a storm. Still, I am very happy. Lychees are grown more widely in Sonargaon, but bananas bring comparatively more profit at lower cost. A lychee tree takes about a year to give a crop, while a banana plant gives a crop every three months."

"Growing bananas costs only about Tk 20,000 a bigha," he said. "If you count the profit, each bigha brings Tk 1 lakh to 1.5 lakh a year. I sell each bunch for Tk 300–600. What I earn by the end of the year lets me and my family live well. Most of the time I don't have to go to the market to sell; wholesalers come to the orchard and buy the bananas."

"I have been farming for 20 years, but I planted the banana orchard three years ago," he added. "I went abroad in 1991 and bought this land. I have been very interested in farming ever since, so when I came home after 15 years I took it up. As part of that, I grow bananas alongside lychees."

Sonargaon Upazila Agriculture Officer Afroza Sultana said: "In the upazila's 10 unions, bananas were grown on 16 hectares in the 2023-24 fiscal year: 12 hectares of chapa banana and 4 hectares of anaji (cooking) banana. They are usually grown in scattered plots. Banana growing has now increased, and farmers are turning to it because it is profitable. The upazila agriculture office stays in touch with them all the time and gives them advice. After meeting the upazila's needs, bananas are being supplied to the capital and other districts."

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