Meherpur’s traditional Mehersagar banana, which has received Geographical Indication (GI) recognition, is now one of the country’s most popular agricultural products. Bananas worth crores of taka are supplied daily from the district’s various banana markets to Dhaka, Chattogram, Sylhet, Barisal, Rajshahi, Khulna, Rangpur, Mymensingh, Cumilla, Bogura and other regions across the country. A strong agriculture-based economy has grown around this banana, transforming the lives of thousands of farmers and traders.
The Hemayetpur banana market in the district’s Gangni upazila in particular is currently one of the district’s largest banana markets. Banana trading begins there every morning. Local farmers bring bananas from the fields and gather them at the market, after which wholesalers and middlemen from various districts across the country buy truckloads and transport them to their destinations.
According to local traders, roughly Tk 5 million worth of bananas are sold daily from the Hemayetpur banana market alone. Additionally, another 30 to 35 truckloads of bananas are sent daily to various regions from different areas of Meherpur Sadar and Mujibnagar upazilas. Altogether, those involved estimate roughly a crore taka worth of banana trade occurs daily.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, bananas were cultivated on approximately 3,000 hectares of land in Meherpur district this year. The production target is set at about 150,000 metric tons, with a potential market value of roughly Tk 1.5 billion. Alongside the GI-recognized Mehersagar banana, the district also extensively grows Chapa, Baish Chhari, Sabri and Rong varieties.
Sharaful Islam, a banana farmer from Hemayetpur village, Gangni upazila, said the emergence of a large local banana market means farmers no longer need to travel to distant markets. Transport costs have decreased, and fair prices are now available, increasing farmers’ interest in banana cultivation.
Ebadot Hossain, a farmer from Jugindra village, said a banana plant typically yields harvests two to three times. About 400 to 450 banana plants can be planted per bigha of land. Depending on market prices, each banana bunch sells for Tk 700 to 800. Since banana farming is more profitable than many other crops, farmers in the area are increasingly turning to it.
Ibrahim Hossain, a wholesale trader from Barisal, said: “We collect bananas directly from farmers. This makes good-quality bananas easy to source and profitable for our business too. Meherpur’s bananas are in demand nationwide. It’s not just me — traders from various regions of the country come to buy bananas from the Hemayetpur market.”
Another wholesaler, Nizam Uddin, said he buys one to two truckloads of bananas daily and supplies them across the country. He said Meherpur’s bananas stand out in taste, aroma and quality, which is why demand for them remains consistently high in the domestic market.
District Department of Agricultural Extension deputy director Sanjib Mridha said the Mehersagar banana has already received GI product recognition and approval to use the GI tag. He said the GI recognition is expected to increase the banana’s recognition and value both domestically and internationally, and that initiatives are also underway to expand foreign markets in coordination with exporters and agricultural marketing stakeholders.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report