Cultivation of various types of spices is increasing in Rajshahi district during recent times. Since the harvested spices yield more profit than other crops, farmers are becoming more and more interested in cultivating the spices.
Sources informed, traditionally farmers of Rajshahi region are used to cultivate various crops like paddy, wheat, maize, plants or fruits like sugar cane, mango and litchi, and green vegetables and potatoes in their field but due to price hike of various spices for last several years they have now switched to spice cultivation in their fields.
Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank (RAKUB) and other commercial banks are also encouraging the farmers by disbursing credit on only two percent interest rate to cultivate spices and thus to ease pressure of import of spices which involves a huge forex.
Bank sources informed, the loan against only two percent interest rate to the farmers is disbursed only for cultivating spices whereas the interest rate of agriculture loan is eight percent. Such a low interest rate of loan for spice cultivation has led to the bumper cultivation of spices in Rajshahi region.
Abdul Razzak, a farmer of Naohata under Paba upazila of Rajshahi informed,he cultivated onion on ten katha of land and produced 25 maunds of onion there. He sold those at Taka 1,000 per maunds. His total production cost is Taka 8,000 for cultivating 10 kathas of land.
Riaz Uddin, another farmer of Alipur under Durgapur upazila said, he cultivated turmeric on eight kathas of land and produced 20 maunds of turmeric. The market price of turmeric is taka 2,400 per maund. After earning more profit than he expected to, he decided to cultivate turmeric again on 1.5 bighas of land.
Saleh Ahmed, an Agriculture Scientist in Rajshahi informed, farmers are earning more profit from spices as the prices of various spices are higher in comparison to other crops. He also said, everyone who has some free space of land for gardening can cultivate various kinds of spices and earn a satisfactory amount of money.
Rajshahi Agriculture Extension Department sources informed, in various upazilas of Rajshahi district spices like turmeric, ginger, coriander, chilli, onion and garlic are produced over 34,000 acres of land and the cultivation of spices are increasing day by day due to high price of those and a bank loan on an easy term and low interest rate. However, the sources also said, the low interest rate for loan to the farmers for cultivation of spices have been alleged to be misused and that is why the banks, specially, Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank, are no more interested to continue the spice loan at such a low interest rate.