Bumper yield, good price make chilli growers happy

Chilli farmers of Panchagarh and Thakurgaon districts are happy due to its bumper production and good market prices during the ongoing harvesting season.

Traders from different districts including Dhaka, Manikganj and Narayanganj are coming to buy it from makeshift markets in Atwary, Boda and Debiganj upazilas of Panchagarh and Sadar upazila of Thakurgaon district where a maund (40 kg) of green chilli is selling at Tk 800-1000 and dried chilli at Tk 3,000-3,500.    

It is considered as an essential ingredient for preparing curry in our country.

Farmers have cultivated chilli on 10,130 hectares of land in five upazilas of Panchagarh district against the target of 10,109 hectares while the cultivation area in Thakurgaon district is 865 hectares of land against the target of 750 hectares, said sources of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE).

The production target in the two districts is 14,658 tonnes and 1,380 tonnes of dried chilli.

Of the ten upazilas of the two districts, Boda, Debiganj and Atwary upazilas of Panchagarh and Sadar and Baliadangi upazilas of Thakurgaon are more suitable for chilli cultivation, DAE sources said.   

Sandy-loamy soil, favourable weather, easy availability of labourers and irrigation facilities are reasons for the production of high quality chilli in the area, said Rafiqul Islam, deputy director (DD) of DAE, Panchagarh.

This correspondent recently visited several makeshift markets at Sonahar, Barabari and Kaliganj villages in Debiganj upazila, Radhanagar, Kismat and Fakirganj in Atwary upazila, and Shingpara and Kalurhat in Boda upazila of Panchagarh district.

Huge quantities of chilli arrive at Sonahar market and several trucks loaded with the item start for different areas of the country every day, said Ashekur Rahman, a local chilli trader.

Hamidul Islam, a farmer of Barabari in Debiganj upazila, said he cultivated chilli on 50 decimals of land and produced 60 maunds of chilli spending Tk 20,000. He got Tk 48,000 by selling the produce.

Nolini Barman of Kismat Rosea village in Atwary upazila of Panchagarh said he cultivated chilli on 50 decimals of land spending Tk 18,000 and produced 17 maunds of dried chilli. He sold it for Tk 51,000 at Fakirganj Haat in the upazila.

Cultivation of chilli is quite easy and usually less expensive than other crops, DD Rafiqul Islam said.

"A farmer can easily earn Tk 18,000 to Tk 20,000 by growing chilli in a bigha of land. It is possible to produce 30-35 maunds of chilli per bigha if the climate remains favourable and proper care is taken," he said.