The cultivation of spices is increasing at Rajshahi as it yields more profit than other crops.
Sources informed, excepting mango, traditionally farmers of the Rajshahi region used to cultivate paddy, wheat, potato, maize and green vegetables on their lands. But, because of the price hike of spices, they have now inclined to spice cultivation.
Bangladesh Krishi Bank and Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank (RAKUB) are also encouraging the farmers by disbursing loans on only two per cent interest to cultivate spices and to ease the pressure of the import of spices which involves a huge forex. This loan against only two per cent interest is being disbursed to farmers only for cultivating spices whereas the interest rate of agriculture loans is eight to 10 per cent. This has led to the bumper cultivation of spices in Rajshahi.
Abdul Razzak, farmer of Naohata under Paba upazila in the district said, he cultivated onion on ten katha of land and produced 25 maunds of onion there. There was an unexpected price hike of onion this year as a result, he sold the onion at Tk 6,000 per maund the normal price of which is around Tk 1,000 per maund. His total production cost for the onion was Taka10,000 for cultivating 10 kathas of land.
Riaz Uddin, farmer of Suvopara at Paba upazila said, he cultivated turmeric on eight kathas of land and produced 20 maunds of turmeric. The market price of turmeric was taka 1,900 per maund. After earning more profit than he expected to, he decided to cultivate turmeric again on 1.5 bighas of land.
Bacchu of village Maskatadighi under Kantakhali municipality had cultivated Green Chilli on 10 Kathas of land. He said, he never expected a sky-rocketing Green Chilli price this year and he has been able to earn a profit of more than Taka 100,000 from the green chilli produced on his land this year.
The price of Green Chilli is still high and he hoped to pluck more chillis from the existing plants and earn more money by selling those.
Saleh Ahmed, an Agriculture Scientist informed, farmers are earning more profit from the price hike of spices.
He also said everyone who has some free space for gardening can cultivate various kinds ofspices and earn a satisfactory amount of money.