Photo: BSS

By Md Mamun Islam

RANGPUR, July 1, 2026 (BSS) - In recent years, a silent revolution has taken place in commercial banana cultivation in Rangpur agricultural region due to high profits at low cost, making many farmers self-reliant.
 
Due to favorable soil and weather and repeated bumper production with satisfying prices, banana cultivation has already become a very profitable and popular venture in the region. 

However, due to the lack of proper storage and advanced processing systems, a huge amount of bananas are being wasted every year, which has become a major obstacle to this potential sector. 
 
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), bananas are cultivated in all five districts of Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari in Rangpur agricultural region.
 
Varieties of bananas including Sagar, Malbhog, Chini Champa and Meher Sagar are being cultivated extensively. 

Many young and educated entrepreneurs are now turning to banana farming because it offers high profits with little capital and less effort. 

However, the problem occurs after harvesting. Bananas are a perishable fruit, so if those are not sold in the market quickly after being picked from the field, they rot. 

According to the DAE sources, in the 2022-23 fiscal year, 112,357 metric tonnes of bananas were produced by cultivating them on 4,208 hectares of land in the region.
 
In the 2023-24 financial year, 134,227 metric tonnes of bananas were produced from 4,356 hectares of land in Rangpur agricultural region.

In the 2024-25 financial year, farmers cultivated bananas on 4,077 hectares of land and produced 134,916 metric tonnes in these five districts of the region.
 
These produced bananas are sold for crores of Taka every day at Shothibari Hat in Mithapukur upazila of Rangpur, Palashbari Hat and Phansitola Hat in Gaibandha on the Rangpur-Dhaka highway and many other places. 
 
Farmers Hamidur Rahman, Bakul Mia and Anwar Hossain, of Takeya village under Mithapukur upazila of Rangpur, said that they have had the opportunity to change their fate by cultivating bananas over the past few years.

But when they harvest a lot of bananas, they have to sell them to the middlemen and fariahs at a low price due to the lack of cold storage or specialized cold storage facilities.
 
“If there is a little delay, the bananas start spoiling. This does not yield the expected profit,” said farmer Anwar Hossain. 
 
Although there is a bumper banana harvest in the Rangpur region in various seasons round the year, no processing center or specialised cold storages have been established across the region.
 
Farmers Masudur Rahman, Shaju Mia and Habibur Rahman, of Paikantari village in Kaliganj upazila of Lalmonirhat said that the cultivation and production cost of bananas on an acre of land is Taka one-lakh to 1.20-lakh. 
 
As many as 1,000 banana saplings can be planted on one acre land. If the bananas are good, a bunch of bananas sells for Taka 450-600. 

Farmers can earn Taka 3.50-lakh to Taka 4.50-lakh from banana cultivation on one acre of land annually.
 
Farmer Isahaque Ali of village Kathihara in Rangpur Sadar upazila said that cold storage or specialized collection centers should be built near every big banana market, considering the nutritional value and versatile uses.
 
“Not only will the farmers and traders benefit from this, but consumers will also get chemical-free, fresh bananas throughout the year at a very fair price,” he said.
 
Talking to BSS, former Rangpur Chamber President Mostafa Sohrab Chowdhury Titu said, if a modern banana preservation and processing system is ensured in the Rangpur region, it can bring a huge revolution in the national and local economy too. 
 
“Low-interest bank loans for farmers, temperature-controlled cold storage suitable for banana preservation, processing factories for making food products from bananas, packaging and natural banana ripening in modern ways should be arranged,” he said. 
 
Additional Director of the DAE for Rangpur region Md Shirajul Islam told BSS that farmers are expanding banana cultivation across the region every year.
   
Following motivational activities conducted by the DAE, farmers are expanding banana cultivation to achieve self-reliance and meet their own nutrition as well as strengthen the body's immunity and the country's economy as well.