Betel nut farming gets popular in Nilphamari

Betel nut farming is gaining popularity among Nilphamari farmers due to its increasing demand as entertaining guests with betel leaf and nut has been a tradition for long in the country.

People of a number of villages in Nilphamari's Domar upazila are now switching to betel nut farming as there is good demand across the country for its exceptional taste and the juice inside.

Due to the favourable weather and suitable land, many farmers of Chilahati, Bhogdaburi, Gosaiganj, Uttar Ketkibari, Dakkhin Ketkibari and Chand Khana villages in the upazila are now cultivating betel nuts on a large scale.

Domar upazila Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Sub Assistant Plant Protection Officer Nazmul Alam said about 1,250 acres of land have been brought under betel nut cultivation this year aiming to produce 5,225 tonnes of the item.

“High land and alluvial soil are suitable for betel nut farming and major reasons behind the increase in its cultivation in the area,” he said.

During a visit to the areas on June 14, this correspondent saw many small and large betel nut orchards at different villages.

Alongside the orchards, betel nut trees are seen in almost every homestead and boundary lines of croplands as the trees do not have any branches that could hamper other crops.

Anjufar Rahman Prodhan, 58, of Chilahati village, said, “I have 5,000 trees in my orchard on five acres of land and expecting at least 12 lakh nuts from those trees.”

Aminur Rahman, 65, owner of a two-acre orchard at Chand Khana village, said he spent Tk 50 as fertilizer and labourer costs against each tree and hoped to get yield of at least 320 pieces from each of them.

Farmers Binoy Krishna, 45, and Kashem Ali, 56, of the village, said a betel nut tree starts to produce nuts within five years of its plantation and keeps yielding for at least 14 to 15 years.

Bogdaburi Union Parishad (UP) Chairman Anwarul Islam said mid April to end of June is considered as the peak season for betel nut cultivation.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Md Jafar Iqbal said they have provided logistic and technical support to the farmers as betel nut farming has changed fortune of many.