The heavy use of different spices in dishes in the Indian subcontinent has made cultivating these spices a lucrative profession. In 2023, farmers in Baria, a remote village under Kushtia Sadar Upazila, planted two thousand bay leaves and cinnamon trees using plastic fences around them. After the successful harvest of the first lot, farmers this year are cultivating ginger and turmeric in geobags.
These bags are kept everywhere, from the backyard to the banks of the ponds. The farmers have erected sheds to protect seedlings from the heavy sun. The project aims to increase production and reduce the import dependency of these spice items.
Baria is now better known as the village of spices. The other spices being cultivated in the village include onion, garlic, capsicum, pepper, cumin, and Chuijhal. All these are being done as part of a pilot project by the local agricultural department. They are optimistic about the success of the project.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), bay leaves and cinnamon trees have been planted in rows in cages surrounded by red-green plastic fences on both sides of a road. The road stretches around a 5-kilometre area. Turmeric and ginger are also being cultivated in sacks in fallow lands.
Besides, the cultivation of 13 types of spices, including onion, garlic, capsicum, pepper, cumin, and Chuijhal is going on under the government incentive.
As the quality of these locally produced spices is good, many are dreaming of exporting some of it. The local administration has also extended its support to the farmers.
Farmer Noor Alam said: “I have grown ginger, onion, garlic, bay leaf, cinnamon, and Chuijhal in my field. The agriculture office has been encouraging us to cultivate these crops. They are also giving ideas on how we can take care of these spices.”
Last year, the government provided the farmers with seedlings and geobags. This year, the farmers themselves have managed the items.
Almost all the farmers in the village are now involved in spice cultivation, Noor Alam said.
Farmer Amena Khatun said: “We have planted spices in the yard and pond. At first, we did not trust the agriculture officials. Therefore, I cultivated a small amount of ginger and capsicum last year. Later, when I saw that these items were being sold in the market for good prices—I became optimistic—just like others in our village.”
Saidul Islam, another farmer, said: “Last season I cultivated 36 sacks of ginger in my yard, from which I produced 21kgs of ginger. I sold them at a fair price. This time I planted 500 sacks of ginger. I will be able to sell them for over Tk200 per kg.”
Anwar Zahid, assistant agriculture officer of the Kushtia DAE, said 13 useful spices, including onion, garlic, capsicum, bell pepper, cumin, and fennel, are being cultivated by making seedlings in pollinate. Ginger and turmeric are being cultivated in geobags and sacks. In this five-year project, the farmers are already profitable.
Kushtia Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer Sautam Kumar Sheel said: “With the long-term goal of reducing import dependence, the government chose this village as a pilot project. If these roadside saplings grow properly, the villagers will be able to pick bay leaves from next year and cinnamon after another year. All in all, this project is now on the verge of success.”
