Betel leaf growers in Bhola are happy with good yield and fair prices this season. Thousands of people in Bhola are engaged in betel leaf cultivation and trade. The people have become self reliant by cultivation of this leafy crop. Sources at the Department of Agricultural Extension in Bhola said about one thousand hectares of land has been brought under betel leaf cultivation in seven upazilas of the district. Growers and labourers in Ilisha and Rajapur betel leaf cultivation areas are now busy with harvesting and preparing the betel leaf for marketing in Dhaka and Chittagong. Betel leaf grower Abdul Baraque, 55, and Belal Hossain, 35, said they are happy as there has been a good yield and fair price of the crop this season. A bundle (72 piece) of betel leaf is selling at Tk 30 to Tk80 this season, said some betel leaf growers. These were sold at Tk 15 to 40 last year. However, Suhrawardi, another betel leaf grower in Ilisha union, said the cultivators are not offered any soft bank loan for raising betel leaf plantation. Some betel leaf growers urged the government provided them with loan like other agricultural crop cultivators. Hori Das Datta, a betel leaf grower in Bhola town, said a large quantity of betel leaf is sent to Dhaka, Barisal and Chittagong from Bhola every day. He said betel leaves of Bhola are popular to the people of other parts of the country.  A trader said betel leaf worth about Tk 50 crores is sent from Bhola to other parts of the country every year.