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Betel leaf growers in Rajshahi are staring at heavy losses this season due to a plunge in its prices, with the harvesting of the district’s main cash crop going on in full swing.

Medium-sized betel leaves are selling at Tk 10–25 per ‘bira’ (each bira or pack has 64 pieces), while small-sized leaves are selling at Tk 01–04 a bira on the local wholesale markets.

But medium-sized betel leaves are selling at up to Tk 60 a bira on the retail markets in Rajshahi city while the small-sized ones at up to Tk 40.

Farmers have said that they are harvesting the crop, which received Geographical Indication status in 2023 for its unique flavour and aroma, at losses as the price has continued to drop despite the production cost were higher than the previous year.

‘This year is a disaster for us. I never sold betel leaves at such low prices in the past one decade. I cannot even recover the labour cost,’ said Montu Ali, a grower of Pakuria village under Mohonpur upazila, one of the three upazilas in the district where most betel leaves are cultivated.

Montu said that during the same time last year, it sold for Tk 65–75 per bira. ‘We would at least break even if we could sell at half that rate,’ he added.

Another grower Mohammad Koyemuddin of Atopara village in the upazila on Thursday said that he sold the same quantity as Wednesday, but got only half the money as prices dropped overnight.

He said that a spell of rain all over Asharh had affected the leaf’s colour, while the production was higher than the local demand.

Abdul Malek, a betel leaf trader at Moughachhi Bazar in Mohonpur upazila, told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· that the price of the GI product dropped drastically due to a lack of outside buyers.

‘I have bought one bira of betel leaf at Tk 4 today. Growers will not be able to recover the labour cost of harvesting the leaves by selling at such record-low prices,’ he said.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, Rajshahi produces over Tk 2,500 crore worth betel leaves annually.

This season, betel leaf has been cultivated on 4,509 hectares of land under nine upazilas in the district with a target of producing 79,681 tonnes of betel leaves.

Rajshahi DAE deputy director Umme Salma told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· that the price of betel leaves remained comparatively low during the pick harvest season (June–September) due to high production.

‘Although prices are low, betel leaf production is usually high during this season. So, even if prices fall, farmers can still recover their cost through the increased volume of production,’ she added.