Farmers are very happy with the price of peanuts this year as they hope to earn handsome returns. They are also hopeful of making up the losses they had incurred last year despite a low production.

Nearly 56 per cent of the peanuts have already been harvested, Dr Abul Hossain, deputy director, Department of Agricultural Extension (DEA), told The Independent.

Rashid Molla of Char Jublee told The Independent: “If we get this kind of price for peanuts every year, we’ll cultivate more.”

A source said per mound of peanuts was sold for Tk 2300 to 2500 much to delight of the farmers of Subarnachar and Hatiya in Noakhali.

The cultivation of peanuts was targeted for 21362 hectares of lands and the target production was 350 metric tonnes this year. Statistics have shown that both in cultivation and production the target has been exceeded.

Last year peanuts were cultivated on 19,232 hectares and the target production was 257 metric tonnes. But the farmers had failed to meet the target due to excessive rainfall which had damaged their crops.

Farmers said most of them had taken loans from money lenders at high interest and hope to be able to repay by selling the crop.

According to wholesalers, they made good profits this year by selling peanuts. They also said they had sent peanuts to Feni, Chandpur, Cumilla, Chattagram, Dhaka and Sylhet and many other districts and made huge profits.

The farmers, however, have urged the government to set up small-scale food processing factory in the southern region of the district as such an initiative will greatly benefit the farmers as well as factory owners.

 M. Harun ur Rashid, Sadar upazila agricultural officer, told The Independent: “Cultivation of peanut has proved lucrative in the char areas of the district as it has played a key role in changing people’s financial condition. Some traders also export them to other countries.”