Farmers are very happy getting excellent  yield and all-time record market prices of their cultivated banana in Rangpur agricultural region. Photo: BSS

By Md Mamun Islam
 
RANGPUR, March 13, 2026 (BSS) - Farmers are very happy getting excellent 
yield and all-time record market prices of their cultivated banana during the 
current 2025-2026 Rabi season in Rangpur agricultural region.
 
Although prices have been very profitable for farmers since the outbreak of 
the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, the market prices of the 'Meher Sagar', 
'Malbhog', 'Sobri' and 'Chini Champa' banana varieties have now reached the 
highest peak, breaking all earlier records.
 
Since then, banana prices have not dropped even once and hundreds of farmers 
have changed their fortunes and made huge profits by cultivating bananas in 
the region's mainland and riverine char areas.
 
According to market sources, in the local market, retailers are selling 
'Malbhog' and 'Sobri' varieties of banana for Taka 40 to Taka 60 per every 
four pieces and 'Meher Sagar' variety bananas for Taka 25 to Taka 45, 
depending on size and quality.
 
Even before this Holy month of Ramadan, these 'Malbhog' and 'Meher Sagar' 
varieties of bananas were being sold at rates between Taka 35 to Taka 45 and 
Taka 15 to Taka 25 respectively.
 
Currently, farmers are selling bananas produced from their fields to traders 
and middlemen at prices 20 to 25 percent higher than the prices before the 
start of the holy month of Ramadan and earning additional profits this year.
 
Officials and experts of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) and 
farmers are considering banana cultivation as a highly profitable initiative 
to meet nutritional needs as well as achieve self-reliance.
 
Additional Director (In-charge) of the DAE for Rangpur region Krishibid Md 
Shirajul Islam told BSS that farmers are expanding banana cultivation in 
Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari districts of the 
region every year.
 
"Farmers have finally cultivated bananas on 2,925 hectares of land during the 
current 2025-2026 Rabi season in the region where they cultivated bananas on 
2,683 hectares of land during the last 2024-2025 Rabi season," he said.
 
After earning good profits every year since 2019, farmers have brought nine 
percent more land under banana cultivation in the region in the current 2025-
2026 Rabi season than the last Rabi season. 
 
Following extensive motivational activities conducted by the DAE, farmers are 
expanding banana cultivation as a cash crop to achieve self-reliance and meet 
their own nutrition as well as strengthen the body's immunity.
 
"Our field level officials are assisting farmers and providing technical 
support to them in expanding cultivation of 'Meher Sagar', 'Malbhog', 'Sobri' 
and other varieties of banana on more lands both in mainland and char areas," 
he said.
 
Meanwhile, harvesting of bananas cultivated in the current Rabi season 
continues and the bumper yield and profitable market prices are pleasing the 
farmers now.
 
Talking to BSS, farmers Lokman Hossain, Abu Bakar Siddique, Mokhlesur Rahman 
and Hasan Ali from different villages of Badarganj upazila of Rangpur said 
they have been cultivating bananas for the past 16 years and are earning 
handsome profits every year. 
 
Farmers Dudu Mia, Arman Hossain, Yusuf Ali, Babul Akhter and Abdul Gafur from 
different char villages of Nageshwari upazila of Kurigram said that in recent 
years, they have been successfully cultivating bananas in char and earning 
lucrative profits. 
 
Retail fruit traders Mofazzal Hossain and Md Babu at Rangpur City Bazar and 
Abdul Jalil at Badarganj Bazar in Rangpur said they are currently selling 
every four pieces of 'Malbhog' and 'Sobri' varieties of bananas at rates 
between Taka 40 and Taka 60.