Peanut farming gets popular in Naogaon

Peanut farming is gaining popularity among farmers in Naogaon as they can cultivate it at a little cost and get good profit.

Upazila Agriculture Officer (UAO) of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in Naogaon Sabuj Kumar Saha said 127 hectares of land in Atrai and Raninagar upazilas of Naogaon have been brought under peanut, also called groundnut, farming this year, while it was 80 hectares last year. Production target is 2.50 tonnes per hectare.

Growers are cultivating Dhaka-1, 2, DGM, BARI and Jhinga varieties of groundnut for their high yield, the UAO added.

Groundnut is called 'brown gold' by the growers in those upazilas. 

Farmer Rafiqul Islam of Atrai upazila said cultivation of groundnut usually starts in February. “Harvesting will be started within 15 days. We are expecting extremely good yield this season,” he added.

It's a new crop in the district, and farmers are increasing cultivation every year as the land and weather in the district are favourable for groundnut farming, growers in the district said, adding that they have been getting high production for the last five years.

Md Ariful Islam, a farmer of Mirat village in Raninagar upazila, said he cultivated groundnut on 10 decimals of land last year, and increased the area to 75 decimals after getting good profit, adding that he has spent Tk 8,000 so far on the cultivation. 

Last year, he earned profit of Tk 25,000 and is expecting to get more this season, he said, adding that the groundnut produced in Naogaon has a unique taste and flavour.

The UAO said more and more farmers in his upazila are opting for groundnut farming as it is profitable and production cost is low.

DAE field workers are raising awareness among the farmers about cultivating new and high yielding varieties of groundnut on their lands with the target of gaining more profit, he added.