Asma Begum, a farmer of Fulgachha village, Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila, has pocketed a good profit after cultivating different types of spices.
She had cultivated black-pepper and cardamom last year. Now, she is now trying to cultivate spices in commercial basis because she earned a good profit in the last few years.
This year, she is cultivating cinnamon, curry leaf, cumin, nigella seed, fenugreek leaf, fennel seed, black cumin in her nursery. She will get the production of the spice next year, she hoped.
“I am getting production of spice items citron, mint, bell-pepper, red-chili, coriander, fresh coriander, turmeric, garlic, onion and bay leaf from my nursery. I have earned expected profit from the spices,” Asma said.
Asma Begum, wife Fakar Islam, started spices farming four years back after getting an easy loan facility of Tk60,000 from a local NGO. She established a wonderful spice nursery at her homestead with the help of her husband and four children.
Asma Begum makes profit from her nursery. Many nurserymen, local people, town dwellers come to her nursery every day for buying spice items’ plants. The NGO Muslim Aid Bangladesh also involved with her for making a market facility of her produced spices.
Asma’s husband Fakar Islam said: “I and our children are helping Asma for extending the nursery for farming spice items in commercial basis. But she faces setback due to lack of fund.”
Kutub Miah, Asma’s co-villager, said: “Local people are also getting interested in spice farming after observing bright success of Asma Begum.”
Lalmonirhat Branch Manager of the NGO Muslim Aid Bangladesh Zahedul Islam said the organistaion would support Asma Begum for farming spice items as she brings bright success on spice farming that will encourage the local farmers also.
Ifat Kibria Al-Naim, a scientific officer of Spices Research Sub-Centre in Lalmonirhat, said soil of the district was very suitable for farming spices.
