Vast expanse along Padma River turns into ‘banana republic’

Ishwardi (Pabna) Correspondent :

In Ishwardi, banana cultivation is going on across the vast expanse of Padma. River.

So far the eyes go, there is only banana plantation.

Thousands of banana bunch hanging among the green leaves put a smile on the face of the farmers.

For four years, the farmers of char area have turned to banana cultivation due to low cost and high profit.

The economic solvency of Char farmers has also come from art cultivation.

According to the office of the Upazila Agriculture Officer, 1,840 hectares of land have been cultivated this year.

Of this, 1,800 hectares of land have been cultivated in Lakshikunda union.

Due to the benefits of banana cultivation, farmers in Kamalpur, Dadapur, Lakshikunda, Kaikunda and Degree Char of the union have planted only banana instead of cultivating other crops.

Harun Or Rashid, a banana farmer of Kamalpur Char, said that he cultivated bananas on 40 bighas of land. Bumper yielded.

Farmers of this pasture are getting very profitable by cultivating banana.

Cultivation requires less fertilizer and seeds.

The labor cost is also less.

Also labor is less compared to other crops.

There is no problem with selling bananas.

Wholesale buyers come to the garden and buy bananas and take them with their own transport.

That’s why there is no origin of leaseholders like market. He also said that several farmers have built beautiful summer houses by benefiting from banana cultivation. Many farmers have bought power trailers, engine driven tractors and harvester machines.

Julhas Khan, a farmer of Dadapur char, said, I have planted bananas on ten bighas of land. 45 thousand taka were spent on cultivation per bigha. Bananas are being sold from Tk 1 lakh to Tk 1 lakh 10 thousand per bigha.

Earlier, various vegetables including carrot, radish, onion were cultivated in this pasture. In these crops, the cost is high, the profit is low. So now everyone has started banana plantation.