PANCHAGARH — Olives have opened a new economic frontier for Panchagarh district and the wider Bangladesh economy, with the daily market at Debdarutala in Debiganj upazila now ranking as the country’s largest olive market.
About 100 tons of olives change hands at the market each day, with a market value of roughly 15 million taka (1.5 crore taka), according to local traders.
Trading begins at first light, with vans, rickshaws, motorcycles and pickup trucks ferrying sacks of olives into Debdarutala. Wholesalers come from Rajshahi, Naogaon, Bogura, Rangpur, Dinajpur and other districts to buy. Prices range from 30 to 50 taka per kilogram depending on quality. Olive harvesting begins each October and trading continues for the three-month season.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Naeem Morshed said the market is expanding daily and olive cultivation in Panchagarh is rising. “We are keeping track of the growers. Farmers are profiting from olive cultivation,” he said. Morshed added that Panchagarh olives are no longer sold only in the domestic market — local traders are also shipping them to Malaysia via online channels, adding a new dimension to the district’s economy.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, although Panchagarh has no large-scale orchards, olives are grown on small farms, home compounds, roadsides and field edges across a total of 13.8 hectares. Last season the district produced 3,000 tons of olives, and officials expect a larger crop this year.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report