Although betel nut cultivation and trade have expanded in Pirojpur, farmers are not getting expected yields this time. Farmers and concerned individuals have stated that betel nut production has decreased across various upazilas of the district compared to last year. Due to the drop in supply, raw betel nut prices have increased in the market. However, many farmers are failing to make up for the losses caused by decreased yields despite the higher prices. This is raising concerns about the future of betel nut cultivation, one of the prominent cash crops in the southern region.
Extensive economic activities related to agriculture and business have developed around betel nut orchards in various areas of Pirojpur. Betel nuts are produced in various areas including Kawkhali, Bhandaria, Mathbaria, Nesarabad, Zianagar, and Sadar upazilas of the district. Alongside meeting local market demand, these betel nuts are supplied to various regions across the country. Due to their size and quality, Pirojpur's produced betel nuts are in special demand.
Crore Taka Transactions at Kawkhali Market: As dawn breaks, buyer-seller activity begins at the Kawkhali betel nut market. The entire market becomes bustling with betel nut sorting, bargaining, bagging, and transportation work. According to related traders, a massive quantity of betel nuts is bought and sold every season at this market, which sits on Fridays and Mondays every week. Farmers and traders bring betel nuts here not only from various upazilas of Pirojpur but also from Jhalokathi.
Betel nuts from surrounding areas, including Kachua in the neighboring Bagerhat district, are also bought and sold in the markets of this region. Alongside meeting local demand, betel nuts are sent to various parts of the country, including Dhaka, Chattogram, Sylhet, and Noakhali. Many people are involved in betel nut sorting, transportation, trading, and preservation centering around this market. This seasonal business is one of the main sources of income for local farmers, small traders, and working-class people.
According to information provided by traders, a kuri (score) of raw betel nuts is calculated at 21 gha or 210 pieces at the Kawkhali market. Depending on size and quality, raw betel nuts are currently selling for Tk 400 to 700 per kuri. Smaller-sized betel nuts are selling for even lower prices. Dried betel nuts are selling at Tk 18,000 to 20,000 per maund (40 kg), according to related traders. However, market prices may vary based on daily supply, size, and quality.
At one time, a large portion of the southern region's produced betel nuts was bought and sold at Cholisha Bazar in Pirojpur Sadar Upazila. Currently, betel nut trade has also expanded to markets in various areas of the district, including Kawkhali. Although some relief has come from rising betel nut prices, many farmers are not reaping that benefit due to reduced yields. According to them, significantly fewer betel nuts are being obtained from the same orchard compared to last year.
Farmer Abu Jafar said that betel nut yields are lower this year compared to last year, though they are getting good prices. He hopes yields will increase next year. Farmer Md. Abul Sardar of Porgora area in Kadamtala Union of Pirojpur Sadar Upazila said that prices have risen because of low market supply. If yields were good, earnings would have been even higher.
Farmer Motaleb Howlader said he is apprehensive about whether he will even be able to sell betel nuts worth Tk 1 lakh this year from the same orchard whose betel nuts he sold for Tk 2 lakh last year. The drop in yield has created the fear of losses for him this time.
Low Supply, Uncertainty in Business: Forkan Howlader, a trader at the Kawkhali market, said that at this time last year, a 'kuri' of raw betel nuts sold for Tk 300 to 500. This time it has risen to Tk 500 to 700. Prices have increased due to low supply.
However, higher prices do not necessarily mean increasing profits for traders. Zakir Hossain, a betel nut trader from Zianagar, said they send betel nuts by truck to various places across the country, including Dhaka, Chattogram, and Sylhet. This time, due to low production, they have to buy betel nuts at higher prices. Consequently, business is not happening as expected due to low supply.
Many traders buy raw betel nuts during the season, preserve them, and sell them later. Faisal Hossain, a trader from Nesarabad Upazila, stated that he preserves betel nuts by spreading polythene sheets underground. After about six months, when raw betel nut supply in the market drops, he sells them. He hopes to get good prices later by preserving them this way.
Rofiqul Islam, the leaseholder of the Kawkhali market, said it is a century-old market. People come here to sell betel nuts from various upazilas of Pirojpur as well as Jhalokathi. The presence of buyers and sellers is increasing because market tolls are relatively low. Regular markets will sit on Fridays and Mondays until next December, he added.
According to data provided by the District Department of Agricultural Extension, betel nuts have been cultivated on 4,669 hectares of land in Pirojpur during the current season. The production target has been set at 18,676 metric tons. The estimated market value of the target production is mentioned to be Tk 840 to 930 crore. However, the basis of this market value calculation and its alignment with current market prices need confirmation from the relevant department.
Sources claim that betel nut yields have dropped this year across seven upazilas of the district, including Pirojpur Sadar, Kawkhali, and Nesarabad. However, the actual picture of yield decline would become clearer if comparative statistics on upazila-wise production were available.
Sowmitra Sarkar, Deputy Director of the District Department of Agricultural Extension, said that betel nut yields are low in Pirojpur this time. Because betel nuts are more profitable than many other crops, commercial orchards are developing in various areas of the district. Due to low yields, farmers are getting relatively higher prices in the market. The agricultural department is advising and assisting farmers regarding regular care and increasing production in betel nut cultivation.
Sustaining Production is Now a Major Challenge: Extensive economic activities have developed around the cultivation, marketing, and preservation of betel nuts in Pirojpur. The livelihoods of farmers, wholesale traders, transport workers, and small business owners are tied to this sector. Therefore, the issue of reduced yields could impact not only farmers' incomes but also the local market and employment.
Field-level observations by the agricultural department regarding weather, orchard care, diseases, pollination, and soil conditions are necessary to determine the specific causes of reduced production. At the same time, regular publication of reliable statistics on production and market prices will enable farmers and traders to plan ahead.
Even if betel nut cultivation increases, if production cannot be sustained, it will be difficult to achieve expected benefits from this promising agricultural product in the long run. Therefore, it is essential for the relevant authorities to pay attention to identifying the causes of yield reduction, effective advice, improved orchard management, and the development of the marketing system.
— Daily Best News Desk • Fearless in the search for truth
Reported by Hasan Mamun, Pirojpur • Edited by the Daily Best News desk. Send corrections to [email protected].
