Betel nuts worth nearly Tk 100 crore sold a year in Chandpur's Haimchar

Haimchar upazila, on the bank of the Meghna, is made up of only six unions. Betel nut cultivation is a major driving force of the economy of this 134-square-kilometre locality. In this upazila of Chandpur, betel nuts worth nearly Tk 100 crore are sold every year. Besides meeting local demand, the produce goes to different regions of the country.

Around the houses, gardens and betel-leaf plots on the eastern bank of the Meghna in the upazila are betel nut orchards. There is hardly a home here without betel nut trees. This year, betel nuts have been cultivated on 528 hectares of land in the upazila.

These betel nuts sell the most in the months of Bhadra and Ashwin. Traders buy them from farmers and stock them at the wholesale depots of the local Hawladar Bazar.

There are 10 big traders at this wholesale market, the largest in the upazila. Besides Haimchar, betel nuts also arrive here from Lakshmipur and Raipur. Betel nuts worth Tk 30 to 35 crore are sold at this market alone every year.

Haimchar upazila agriculture officer Mohammad Shakil Khandaker said 80 pieces of betel nut are selling for Tk 160 to 200, and dried betel nut is selling at Tk 380 per kilogram. Farmers here are quite self-reliant economically by selling betel nuts.

The betel nuts produced throughout the year meet local demand and then travel to various regions of the country. A farmer runs his household by selling betel nuts worth at least Tk 70,000 to one lakh over the year.

However, local growers have demanded a halt to betel nut imports from abroad in order to protect domestic farmers.