According to Agriculture Extension Department (AED), officials in Tangail and Mymensingh, turmeric is now being cultivated in 1500 acres in Modhupur upazila,1200 acres in Ghatail upazila and 2000 acres in Fulbaria upazila. About 7,0,5000 maunds of raw turmeric is produced in the areas annually. But this can not meet the domestic demand, they said.

Deputy Director of Tangail (AED) told this correspondent that, they are trying to encourage farmers in Modhupur forest area to cultivate turmeric. Its cultivation in the area will double 2-3 years, which will meet the home demand to a great extent, he said.

Snamangsu Mree, a farmer in Talki in Modhupur upazila in Tangail district, said last year he earned Tk 45,000 by selling 150 maunds of raw turmeric from his on acre of land. This year he has cultivated turmeric in two acres of land.

Besides being a common spice, turmeric is used as cosmetics and in herbal medicine.

Turmeric is a six-monthly crop. It is sown in mid-April to mid- May and harvested in December-January.

At least 150 maunds of turmeric is produced in one acre of land and raw turmeric is sold at Tk 250 to 300 Tk. per maund. A farmer can earn around Tk 45,000 from one acre of turmeric land within six months.

But turmeric farmers this correspondent talked to said they do not get the fair price of their product because of lack of marketing facilities.

Traders come to them during harvesting period and they are to sell raw turmeric at the prices dictated by them as it is a perishable product.

The farmers said most of them borrow money from moneylenders, which have to be repaid after harvest, as they do not get bank loan.

The crop could be more profitable if they could dry the turmeric and preserve it. Dry turmeric is sold at around Tk 23,00 per maund, they said.

Moyeruddin a turmeric farmer at Billper village in Fulbaria upazila in Mymensingh said he cultivated turmeric in four acres of land this year. He hopes to earn Tk 1, 80,000. Last year he earned Tk1,70,000 by selling 600 maunds of turmeric.

Turmeric farmers of the area claimed that the do net get any help from the government, not even bank loan.

The World Vision, Bangladesh, an NGO, has started giving loan, seeds and fertiliser turmeric farmers the three districts.

The farmers urged the authorities concerned and banks to extend loan facilities, which will encourage farmers to cultivate the valuable crop in fallow lands in hilly areas. This will reduce import, besides benefiting farmers.