Real experiences, published anonymously and with permission.
A Napier grass grower in Kaliganj, Lalmonirhat, in a BSS report
Agriculture & farmingLalmonirhat
Three bighas moved from paddy to Napier fodder grass now bring 200,000 taka a year. It is cut four to five times a year, one planting lasts four to five years, and bought-feed costs are down about 40 percent.
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A woman growing ginger in Narail, in a Protidiner Bangladesh report
Agriculture & farmingNarail
Ten thousand sacks of ginger on about 1.5 acres of low-lying land beside the homestead, at a cost of 650,000 taka. The crop takes nine months; at the time of the report she expected to sell 16-17 lakh taka of ginger, which had not yet been sold.
A date palm sap tapper in Bauphal, Patuakhali, in a BSS report
Agriculture & farmingPatuakhali
He once tapped 30-35 date palms for 15-20 litres of sap a day; now 16 trees give 4-6. The price has risen from 50-60 taka a litre to 100-120, but the lost volume is larger than the price gain.
An areca nut orchard owner in Fulbari, Kurigram, in a Daily Star Bangla report
Agriculture & farmingKurigram
Five hundred areca nut trees brought about 800,000 taka last year. This season the trees yielded 25-30 percent more, but wholesale prices fell 60-65 percent, and he expects no more than 400,000.
A former pearl farmer in Jashore, in a Business Standard Bangla report
Agriculture & farmingJashore
Three lakh taka went into freshwater pearl culture, with about 100 ponds running between him and his trainees. The harvest was poor, there was no domestic buyer, and he abandoned the project after two years.
A cashew grower in Thanchi, Bandarban, in a Business Standard Bangla report
Agriculture & farmingBandarban
About 2,000 cashew trees gave this Thanchi grower 20 maunds this season, sold at 1,700 taka a maund against 3,200-3,700 the year before.
A summer tomato grower in Tala, Satkhira, in a Prothom Alo report
Agriculture & farmingSatkhira
Summer tomato costs 150,000-180,000 taka a bigha, sells for over 350,000 and nets 150,000-200,000. Wholesale from the field held at 65-70 taka a kilo against 100 taka retail.
A capsicum grower and cooperative chairman in Kumarkhali, Kushtia, in a Prothom Alo report
Agriculture & farmingKushtia
Two bighas of Indra Gold capsicum in 2024 cost 220,000 taka and returned about 400,000 in profit. The following season 30 farmers of the village put roughly 10 lakh taka into 10 bighas between them.
A guava grower in Madhupur, Tangail, in a Prothom Alo report
Agriculture & farmingTangail
He first tried guava in 2015 and expanded seriously from 2018. Thirty-six bighas now carry about 6,000 bearing trees at 1.5 maunds each a year, giving 1.5 crore taka of guava sales and over 1 crore of net profit.
A strawberry grower in Shibganj, Bogura, in a Prothom Alo report
Agriculture & farmingBogura
Strawberry on 25 shatak, at 150,000-200,000 taka a bigha to plant. Fruit brought 4-5 lakh taka or more this season, and selling runners and seedlings to other growers brought another 4 lakh.
A kul (jujube) grower in Amtali, Barguna, in a Daily Star Bangla report
Agriculture & farmingBarguna
He lost his NGO job in 2020 and the next year leased 2.17 acres at 15,000 taka an acre a year to plant more than 400 kul trees. The orchard yields at least 10 tons a season and brings about 10 lakh taka a year, though his price has slipped from 120 taka a kilo to 80-100.
A mango orchard owner in Charghat, Rajshahi, in a Daily Inqilab report
Agriculture & farmingRajshahi
This orchard owner felled 5.5 bighas of Khirshapat, Langra and Amrapali trees: spraying, bagging, labour and irrigation costs had risen while the price of mangoes had not. About 100 hectares of orchard have been cleared in Charghat upazila in five years.