Cultivation and economic prospects of Betel Nut (Areca catechu Linn.) and Coconut (Cocos nucifera Linn.) in rural economy: A case study from southeastern region of Bangladesh

Abstract

Betel Nut and Coconut are two important crops in the homesteads and farmlands of SouthEastern region of Bangladesh. An exploratory survey to assess the cultivation, contribution and importance of palm husbandry in rural economy was conducted at Ramu upazila under Cox's Bazar District, Bangladesh. A total of 120 households' heads were interviewed who were selected following stratified random selection method. The findings revealed that betel nut contributes 19.06% (78345 TK) of total annual household income whereas coconut contributes 6.07% (25017 TK). Orchard, pond bank, homestead and road sides were the four cultivation sites of both palms. Orchards were at top of farmer's preference for cultivating betel nuts while homesteads are of greater preference to farm holders for coconut trees. Annual production of betel nut was highest (547 betel nuts per tree) at their 11-20 years age range. Annual production per coconut tree was maximum (58 coconuts) at 21-30 years age class. The availability of palm trees of different age classes reflects a sustainable production system of betel nut and coconuts in the study area. Palm husbandry could be a promising sector of rural economy in Bangladesh if the marketing system is well developed reducing involvement of middlemen in the business.

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“…The price of stimulants is a resultant of: business fluctuations, natural disasters, political and monetary situation, the sales policy of the producer. It is shaped by the cyclical fluctuations on the world market [72,73].…”

“…The first producer is India, with 700,000 t, covering ca 58% of the total world production; Myanmar and Bangladesh are second and third, each covering ca 10% of the world, following by countries with minor production. Palm cultivation can be a promising sector for the rural economy not only in Asia but also in Africa and generally in subtropical and tropical climates if the marketing system is well developed and reduces the involvement of intermediaries in business [73].…”

“…World production of black tea is expected to increase to 4.4 million tons in 2027, which reflects a significant increase in production in China, Kenya and Sri Lanka -thanks to this China will achieve the highest levels of production as the largest exporter of black tea in the world. Global production of green tea is expected to grow even faster at 7.5% per year to reach 3.6 million tons in 2027, largely due to China, where green tea production is expected to increase more than double from 1.5 million tons in 2015 to 3.3 million tons in 2027 [72][73][74].…”