Even 15-20 years ago, the grazing areas in the Brahmaputra basin did not produce any cash crops that producers could talk about proudly. Now the sandy land has turned out a boon for farmers as they have gone for growing chillies as the first cash crop of the vast shoal area.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), 25 to 32 types of crops are grown on the sandy land across the country. Of them, chilli, maize and pumpkin are currently the main cash crops, with hot peppers handing a good profit to growers for decades.

Abdur Razzak, a farmer of Nayapara char in Bogura's Sariakandi upazila, has spent his entire life in Hatsherpur char. The 65-year-old has cultivated hybrid chilli on 2.5 bighas of land.

So far, he has collected 120-130 maunds of the crop from one bigha of land. He spent Tk 40,000 to Tk 45,000 per bigha and has been able to make a profit of around Tk 1 lakh.

Razzak recalled: "20 years ago, there was no irrigation system in the char areas, so most of the land was left uncultivated. Therefore, we had no cash crops."

Photo: Mostafa Shabuj

Only some corn varieties and pulses were cultivated but the produce was not enough to provide the char farmers two meals a day, he said.

The situation has changed completely now.

"Now we have an affordable irrigation system and various crops are being grown. Among the crops, chilli has been fetching a handsome profit for the last 15 years," Razzak said.

Motiur Rahman, a 60-year-old farmer in Baje Phulchhari char of Gaibandha's Fulchhari upazila, said even 15 years ago, one could not post good profits by growing chillies because the yield of the local varieties was not higher.

After the introduction of hybrid seeds, now 100 to 130 maunds of chillies are produced per bigha. "This gives us a profit of Tk 1 lakh to Tk 1.5 lakh per bigha," said Rahman.

According to the Sariakandi upazila agriculture office, five unions of the upazila are entirely located in the Jamuna basin where 14,000 hectares of land have been brought under cultivation.

Out of the areas, chilli has been cultivated on 3,350 hectares this year, which produced 8,710 tonnes of red chillies worth around Tk 300 crore as per current market prices.

This year, chillies have been grown on 7,238 hectares in Bogura, DAE data showed, with 80 percent of the acreage located in Sariakandi and Sonatala upazilas.

Last year, chillies were cultivated on 7,820 hectares in the northern district, yielding 2,263 tonnes of dry chillies worth Tk 1,400 crore.

Photo: Mostafa Shabuj

Sariakandi Upazila Agriculture Officer Abdul Halim said Bogura's red chillies are well-known all over the country.

"The chars in the district are producing the best chillies of the country because the area is suitable for cultivating the crop."

The farming of hybrid chilli started in Bogura in the 1990s. In 2004, the government implemented the "Char Livelihood Programmes" to alleviate poverty for the people living in the areas. Since then, seeds of high-quality crops have been distributed among farmers.

"Currently, char farmers are benefiting by growing chillies," said Md Motlubar Rahman, deputy director of the Bogura DAE.

Chillies have become a popular crop among farmers in every char in the northern districts as the Brahmaputra, the Teesta and the Jamuna flow through the region.

There are about 165 chars in Gaibandha, with the crop being grown over about 1,300 hectares of land this year. The crop may fetch Tk 120 crore to Tk 140 crore.

Similarly, Kurigram has 364 villages located over the char land. Some 1,850 hectares are growing pepper, representing about 80 percent of the char areas.

Khorshed Alam, deputy director of the DAE Gaibandha, said paddy cultivation is not very profitable in the district, so maize and chillies provide the lifeline for farmers.

"Growing chillies requires less irrigation. Therefore, more areas in the chars are being brought under the crop cultivation."

Biplab Kumar Mohant, deputy director of the DAE Kurigram, says farmers have expanded chilli cultivation by 100 hectares compared to last year since the crop is profitable.

Chilli is cultivated thrice a year: twice during summer and once in winter. About 60 percent of the produce is sold as green chillies while the remaining is in the dried form.

Pran and Square, two of the country's largest spice processing companies, collect 450 to 500 tonnes of dried chillies from Bogura's char areas throughout the year through local traders.

Rural Development Academy Bogura has been implementing a project -- Markets Work for Chars (M4C) -- in 16 districts since 2013 with the aim to reduce poverty and vulnerability of the households in the chars. It provides services to input services and micro-loans providers and has set up markets in chars.

M4C Project Consultant Md Mozaherul Haque said: "We have brought major seed companies to char farmers so that they can grow high-quality chillies. After that, we have brought major processors to ensure a fair price for farmers when the crop is harvested."

In 2016, the project signed a memorandum of understanding with Pran and Square and the companies are purchasing chillies in Bogura, Gaibandha, Sirajganj and Jamalpur districts.

Pran and Square buy about 450 tonnes of dry chillies annually alone from Bogura.

Some 25 seasonal traders in Sariakandi buy half-ripened chillies from farmers, dry them and sell them to local traders in the neighbouring districts.

One such businessman is Abdus Salam. This year, he bought about 800 maunds of ripened chillies and dried and sold them to traders.

A haat takes place twice a week at Fulchharighat in Gaibandha's Fulchari upazila adjacent to the Jamuna. Farmers from 30 char villages sell dried chillies worth about Tk 1 crore every market day, according to Mojibur Rahman.

Photo: Mostafa Shabuj

The picture is not entirely perfect when it comes to chilli farming.

Many farmers are suffering losses due to the use of substandard seeds but they did not receive any redress, said industry people.

Shahabul Islam, a farmer in Baroikandi char in Sariakandi, said he cultivated hybrid chilies on three bighas of land but the seeds were of low quality.

"I even did not get three to four maunds of chillies so far whereas others have received higher output. I spent Tk 10,000 for saplings for one bigha of land. I have lost all of my capital."

He collected the saplings from Sajapur in Shajahanpur upazila of Bogura.

There are 250 vegetable saplings growers in Sajapur who produce young plants worth Tk 3-4 crore annually.

Amjad Hossain, president of Sajapur Nursery Owners Association, said, "If the farmers had come to us and lodged a complaint, we could have taken action against the nursery owner."

Bogura DAE's Matlubar Rahman said although farmers have not complained, they would investigate the matter.