DINAJPUR Oct 2:–The cultivation of banana is gaining popularity in all the thirteen upazila of the district since the last three years and the farmers are also making more money for their lives cultivating banana in the region.

According to the sources of district Agriculture Extension Department [AED] banana was cultivated on 345 acres of land in the entire district in the year 2003, on 635 acres of land in 2004 and 1240.8 acres of land in the district this year brought under banana cultivation.

The farmers cultivated banana expecting more benefits this year. The upazila-wise break-up of banana cultivation this year is as follows:

Jamal Uddin, a banana cultivator of Birganj has his own huge banana plantations and also get leased from others in the Upazila to make more money cultivating banana this year.

A total of 238 acres of land have been brought under Banana cultivation in Dinajpur Sadar upazila, 112 acres of land in Biral upazila, 150 acres of land in Birganj upazila, 275 acres of land in Birampur and Phulbari upazilas, 109 acres of land in Ghoraghat upazila and 356.8 acres of land in Kaharol, Khanshama and Setabganj have been brought under banana cultivation by the farmers spontaneously in the district.

It is to be mentioned here that the soil of Dinajpur district is very much suitable for banana cultivation according to Agricultqre Extension sources.

Increased demand and popularity of banana market outside the region have bolstered the farmers of the region to focus on this viable banana cultivation sector this year.

AED sources also claimed that there are nearly 21.5 per cent lands out of the total land in the district are completely high where banana can be cultivated properly.

While this correspondent talk to a good number of banana farmers they told The Bangladesh Observer that if all the high lands in the district are brought under banana cultivation under the patronage of the government several lakh tones of banana can be produced here every year.

Banana farmer from Biral upazila Kanchi told this correspondent that about 155 maunds of banana may be produced on one acre of land. Banana cultivation is profitable through which many people under the thirteen upazila of the district have already changed their lot.

Abul Hossain, a banana businessman and exporter at Birgonj said that this year he targeted 4.6 thousand metric tons banana to export to different districts of the country.

The banana cultivators and businessmen appeal to the government to help tham to increase the cultivation of banana in the district creating international market as they add more government revenue.

Dinajpur Horticulture sources said that apart from promoting private entrepreneurs and NGOs is now focusing on "village area cropping" whereby farmers are encouraged to grow banana and others fruits of those upazila.

"Most places have their own local variety of banana like Sagar, Mal-Bhog and Champa to cultivate. We intend to help the growers market these products. Every year there are huge post-harvest losses because of the lack of proper marketing outlets and this year the farmers cultivated almost double than last year," Horticulture officials said to this correspondent.

Seasonal fruits like litchis, pineapples and delight fruit also easily grown in the northeastern district. The emphasis is now on making farmers self-reliant through new avenues to market the products.

But with the ongoing political instability and the frequent Hartal could be posed threaten to the banana cultivators and businessmen to export to other parts of the country due to lack of preservation facilities along the area.

If so, cultivating banana in the region farmers could play a vital role in economic development of the country.

On the other hand, Banana stems after harvesting the fruit are become waste material posing a problem of disposal to environment.

According to scientist of Dinajpur Hajee Dadesh Science and Technology University [HSTU] the banana stem contains fiber to the extent of approximately 4 per cent of its weight which is very positive for paper produce. So, the banana stem fiber can be used economically to produce paper.

The banana fiber apart from serving as a very good base for making specialised products like plywood, craft papers, insulating papers, serves as an excellent source of strength.

The process of preparing paper from the fiber involves extraction of the fiber from the banana stem, preparation of the soft tissue, and then manufacture of the products. The products manufactured by this process like suitcases, cardboard, ply woods have been found to be of superior quality. Besides as the fiber is very light it also reduces the bulk factor to a considerable extent.

If government finance to interested private entrepreneurs then there is a bright prospect to se tup a banana stem based paper industry and other banana stem fiber products in the area. This can create mass scale employments at the area.