Farmers in Sarishabari upazila of the district have got bumper yield of peanut in char areas of the river Jamuna this year. The growers, who are now harvesting peanut, are happy due to the bumper production and good price of the crop. The sandy soil of the char is suitable for peanut cultivation. Farmers cultivated the crop on more land this year compared to the last year due to high yield of peanut, also known as groundnut, and its better price. Talking to this correspondent, many farmers alleged that they did not get free seeds or fertilizer of the government. Even the Upazila Agriculture Office did not give them the necessary help or advice, they alleged. Upazila Agriculture Office sources said peanut has been cultivated on 195 hectares of shoal land in different unions this year. Besides, lentil, grass pea (khesari daal), chick pea (gram), maskalai pulse and wheat have also been cultivated in the char areas. However, the agriculture office could provide detailed information about peanut cultivation.
While visiting char areas, this correspondent found that peanut has been cultivated on vast tracts of sandy land in shoal areas. Farmers were found busy harvesting peanut in some areas while the growers were taking care of the peanut plants in some other areas.
Different remote char areas, including Dakatia Menda and Nalsandha under Pingna Union of the upazila; Kumarpara, Kulpal, Kaowamara, Awnar Char and Jedy Ghat under Awna Union; and Damodorpur under Pogoldigha Union, have witnessed a bumper production of peanut this year.
Peanut farmers Uzzal Miah and Rony Ahmed said their other crops are usually damaged by floods every year and they cultivate peanut on the dried up riverbed to recoup flood-induced losses. They hoped that they would make a profit of Tk 10,000 to Tk 15,000 on each bigha of land by selling peanut this season.
They said they did not get government seeds or any support from the agriculture office.
Rashidul Islam, a farmer of a char area, said he made a good amount of profit by cultivating peanut on three bighas of land last year. “I have cultivated the crop on 5 bighas of land this year. I took lease of land for peanut farming this season because of its good price,” he said.
Upazila Agriculture Officer and agriculturist Anup Singha said the char areas saw a bumper production of peanut this year due to favourable weather condition and absence of attacks by pests. “We always maintain contacts with the farmers. We distributed free fertilizer and seeds among the peanut farmers in char areas. As the amount of fertilizer and seeds was less, we could not provide them to all the farmers,” he said.
