Social Science Review

 

An Empirical Analysis of Turmeric Production, Processing, and Marketing Challenges and Prospects in Bangladesh: A Case Study of Fulbaria Upazilla at Mymensingh District   Laily Akter1,[*], Shabikunnahar Bonna1   1 Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University, Trishal, Mymensingh.

 

Keywords		Abstract
Agriculture, Cobb-Douglas production function, the cost and return of production, profitability, turmeric cultivation.		A well-known and widely-used spice crop is turmeric. Additionally, turmeric has various health benefits. Turmeric farming, processing, and marketing are well known in Fulbaria Upazilla of the Mymensingh District. Our study provided an estimate of the profitability, issues, and future of turmeric farming in Fulbaria Upazilla. Fulbaria Upazilla is home to a large number of turmeric farmers. Using a carefully constructed questionnaire, information was gathered from 100 farmers. The research showed that growing turmeric is a successful farming industry. The residents of the study region benefit financially from the sale of turmeric. The BCR of the farmers in this sample was 1.41. It suggests that turmeric farms with BCRs above 1 have greater benefits than costs. In other words, it offers gains overall. In our study location, producing turmeric is a significant farm enterprise. Numerous factors, including seed cost, labor cost, irrigation cost, transportation cost, etc., had a favorable impact on gross return in the research area.  However, farmers deal with several issues, such as a lack of funding, a shortage of storage facilities for turmeric, a poor market price for spice, and natural disasters. The goal of this research is to identify the economic value of producing turmeric and offer answers to certain challenges. Furthermore, it will offer suggestions for utilizing contemporary modern technologies to improve the situation of turmeric production and processing.

 

Introduction:

The "Queen of Spices" turmeric plant's roots are used to make the spice. It has been ranked as one of Bangladesh's top five most important spices, accounting for around 6% of the country's overall spice production (BBS, 2018). It has a variety of uses. Bangladeshi people utilize turmeric to give their curries for distinctive color and flavor, whether they are made with meat, fish, vegetables, pulses, or anything else. With more people becoming aware of turmeric's advantages and its use in many processed items, the demand for turmeric is rising nowadays. Turmeric is produced in almost all the districts of the country; the principal growing areas are Khulna, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Chattogram, Rangpur, Mymensingh, Sylhet, and Barisal. The annual production of turmeric in Bangladesh in 2018–19 was 147,439 metric tons, which was cultivated over 28,185 hectares of land. The annual production of turmeric in Mymensingh division in 2018–19 was 6,266 metric tons over 1,436 hectares of land. According to the (BBS,2021) Mymensingh division came in sixth place and contributed 4.25% to Bangladesh's overall output. In Fulbaria Upazila, the most turmeric is produced from this. Turmeric can be considered a suitable cash crop for the people of Bangladesh since it can be produced with little technology, little capital input, and very little fertilizer consumption. Turmeric is typically planted in areas where other agricultural products do not thrive. As a result, land is not wasted. Since Bangladesh imports numerous turmeric products from various other nations, turmeric also has the potential to replace imported goods. The output of turmeric might be increased to improve the economy of Bangladesh. Since Fulbaria Upazila under Mymensingh District is fertile land for producing turmeric, the authority of here should be more careful for rising cultivation of turmeric in this region. The aim of our research work is to identify the potentiality of turmeric in study area, find out problems faced by turmeric growers regarding turmeric production, processing and marketing and providing ways of solving these problems. Since very few study has been made on Fulbaria’s turmeric, we have tried to make a floor for new development. We think this study is very much crucial for agricultural development of research area. It is essential to make research for further development of turmeric sector of this area, from that perspective we have studied on this topic. We think this study will help turmeric growers of this region for continuous development this sector in our study area. 

 

Objectives of the study:

The principal goals of our research are:

• To find out the economic significance of turmeric production in the study area.
• To analyze the product processing and marketing channels of turmeric.
• To find out various problems faced by turmeric farmers and provide solutions for them.

Specific objective: To identify the profitability of turmeric production by comparing returns and costs of production.

 

Literature review: 

1. (Begum, Monayem, Rashid, Islam, & Hossain, 2019), found that turmeric production is a very profitable business for hilly people. It is a major source of income and employment generation for hilly areas. 
2. (Chakraborty & Haider, 2015), found that the introduction of CAF in crop fields brings significant change to the agricultural farming systems among farming communities in Jessore district and affects farming households.
3. (Monsura, A.H. Rokhsan, and F. Tahmina, 2010) calculated the benefit-cost ratio for some selected winter vegetables like brinjal, tomato cabbage, etc., and found that vegetable growing is a profitable farm activity in the short run.
4. (Islam, Rahman, & Hasan, 2011), found that more educated and more experienced farmers were technically more efficient than less educated and less experienced farmers. Inefficiency was reduced by providing training to the farmers. 
5. (Hasan & Mahmud , 2014), they found that, high investment in turmeric research and development provides a pleasant return and it provides enormous social benefits. It provides a large consumer surplus to the economy. This sector has huge economic prosperity. 
6. (Angles, Sundar, & Chinnadurai, 2011), found that, in India, there was a remarkable production and export of turmeric. However, there was some instability in the production and export due to the difference between domestic and international prices.
7. (Sambo, Zagi, Abdulaziz, Bada, & Shehu, 2019), found that turmeric production was a more profitable farm business in their study area. And they found that educated farmers were more efficient in producing more crops. 

From above discussion it is clear that turmeric production is a profitable farm business. It is true for our research area also. But turmeric growers of our study area face some problems during the period of cultivation, product processing and marketing. Our study will explore the potentiality of turmeric production in our study area, ways of solving problems faced by growers. So this research work is very much logical for our research area as well as all over the world. 

 

Methodology and data collection:

The study was conducted in Bangladesh's Fulbaria Upazila in the district of Mymensingh. Six villages from the Fulbaria Upazila, including Bakta, Kaldaha, Enayetpur, Nawgon, Radhakanai, and Rangamatia, were chosen at random for the study. We chose 75 small, 20 middle, and 5 large farms out of a total of 100 farmers. These farms were chosen using a stratified random sampling technique. The majority of the study's data came from primary sources. Using a well-structured questionnaire and a face-to-face interview, the data were obtained from the farmers. Between March and May 2022, the necessary data were gathered. Here, we have analyzed the data gathered using both descriptive and statistical methods. To obtain a significant result from the study, we used MS Excel and the STATA Method. We used a descriptive approach to calculate the total, average, and percentage of costs, as well as the gross return, net return, and profitability of the production of turmeric. Using the Cobb-Douglas production function, we have been able to ascertain how the most crucial factors would affect the gross return on turmeric.

 

Econometric analysis:  

The net return analysis technique was used to determine the profitability of turmeric cultivation in the study area.

 

The net return:

We have calculated the net return by subtracting the total expenditure from the total earnings. To estimate the net earnings from turmeric production we have used the following equation-

Π=TR-TC

Π= Ʃp_yq_y + Ʃp_bq_b – Ʃp_xiq_xi –TFC…….(1)

Here, Π = net return,

p_y= per unit price of the principal produce,

q_y= aggregate amount of principal produce,

p_b= value of by-product,

q_b = amount of by-product,

p_xi= value of ith factors per unit used for turmeric cultivation,

q_xi= amount of the ith input used for turmeric growing,

TFC = Total Fixed Cost in Turmeric growing,

Ʃ= Addition i = 1, 2, 3, ......................n (number of factors)

 

Benefit-cost ratio (BCR):

To calculate the benefit-cost ratio, we have used the following formula:

Benefit-Cost Ratio = Gross Benefit / Gross Cost

Cobb-Douglas production function:

To identify the key variables affecting the gross returns of turmeric cultivation, we used the following Cobb-Douglas production function:

Y=a X₁ ^b1 X₂ ^b2 X₃ ^b3 X₄ ^b4 X₅ ^b5 X₆ ^b6 X₇ ^{b 7}eUi............................. (2)

Further transformations resulted in the logarithmic form of the following Cobb Douglas Production Function:

lnY = lna + b₁lnX₁ + b₂lnX₂ + b₃lnX₃ + b₄lnX₄ +b₅lnX₅ + b₆lnX₆ +b₇lnX₇+ Ui..........(3)

Where, 

Y = Total earnings from the production of turmeric (Tk./ha)

 a = Value of a constant  

X₁ = The cost of labor (Tk/ha) 

X₂ = Seed price per hectare (Tk.) 

X₃ = Fertilizer price per hectare  

X₄ = Irrigation cost per hectare  

X₅= Cost of transportation,

X₆ = Cost of a power tiller (Tk./ha).  

X₇= Cost of insecticides (Tk/ha)  

Ui =Error term  

ln =Natural logarithm

b₁, b₂, and ………. b₇ = The coefficient of independent “variables”.

 

Socioeconomic condition of turmeric growers at Fulbaria Upazilla based on field survey

In Fulbaria Upazilla farmers grow turmeric, then process it and sell it to the market. It is traditional to use turmeric from the Mymensingh District of Fulbaria Upazilla. The turmeric of Fulbaria is well-known throughout Bangladesh. This turmeric is cultivated only once a year. Turmeric is more abundant in the soil of the Lalmati hilly area of Fulbaria than in other Upazilas. In terms of color, Fulbaria turmeric is well-known throughout the nation. In Fulbaria, turmeric can be grown in any type of soil. The best cultivable soils are loam and sandy loam. In the Chaitra month, tubers are planted. Bangladesh has two developed varieties of turmeric called Dimla and Sinduri, which yield three times more than native varieties.

 

Age distribution among turmeric farmers: 

A person's age plays a significant role in deciding the activity that generates his income. Younger people have greater energy, whereas middle-aged and older people have more wisdom. Here, five age groups of our sample of farmers were identified. These age ranges are 20 to 30, 31 to 40, 41 to 50, and 51to 60 and 61to older. 

 

Table 1: The Respondents’ ages from Fulbaria Upazila

Age Group (years)	No. of Respondents (Frequency)	Percentage (%)
20-30	6	6
31-40	18	18
41-50	62	62
51-60	10	10
61-above	4	4
Total	100	100

Source: Field survey 2022

 

The largest age range was that of 41 to 50 years old. Of those who own farms, this age group makes up about 62%. This generation has experience. So this group has excellent production and profitability.

 

Gender classification of growers of Fulbaria Upazila:

Maximum turmeric farmers of Fulbaria Upazila are male. Only a small percentage of women work in agriculture. Turmeric is processed by female workers. They boil it, then dry it up and make it usable. So both males and females contribute to the production of turmeric in the study area.

 

Table 2: Gender classification of growers of Fulbaria Upazila

Gender	(Frequency)	Percentage (%)
Male	85	85
Female	15	15
Total	100	100.00

Source: Field survey 2022

 

Firm size and creation of employment opportunities:

From a variety of turmeric producers, we selected 100 farms in Fulbaria Upazilla as an example. In which 5 farms (41 and above) are large, 20 farms (21–40 kata) are medium, and 75 farms (01–20 kata) are small.  There are 425 laborers engaged throughout these farms in total. So, it contributes significantly to the creation of new jobs. 

 

Table 3: Area of turmeric farm and employment generation in Fulbaria Upazila

Farm Size	number of respondents	Percentage (%)	No. of labor employed	percentage
Large(41-above)	5	5	78	18.35
Medium (21–40 katha)	20	20	125	29.41
Small (1–20 katha)	75	75	202	47.53
Total	100	100	425	100

Source: Field survey 2022

 

 

Institutional qualification of respondents:

Education makes a man efficient in making proper decisions. Educated farmers are also efficient enough to produce more products than uneducated farmers.   

 

Table 4: Institutional qualification of growers.

Educational Status	Frequency	Percentage (%)
Not Sign	12	12
Sign only	25	25
Secondary (S.S.C)	35	35
Higher Secondary (H.S.C)	17	17
Graduate	7	7
Others	4	4
Total	100	100

                                          Source: Field survey 2022

 

Educated farmers can cultivate their farms properly. So they can earn a higher profit. Most of the farmers have only passed the primary level of education in our study area. Very few farmers are graduates. Profit margins are high on the farms of educated farmers in our study area.

 

Sources of fertilizer in the research area: 

Once upon a time, agriculture was dependent only on nature. Then the farmers used only organic fertilizer. Agriculture currently makes use of modern technology. Due to the usage of artificial fertilizers, farmers are now able to produce more. However, the majority of farmers utilize traditional and organic fertilizers. For that agriculture is becoming developed today.  

 

Table 5: Types of Fertilizer used in turmeric production

Fertilizer Name	No. of Respondents	Percentage (%)
Organic	10	10
Chemical	35	35
Both (Organic+ chemical)	54	54
Lime	1	1
Total	100	100

Source: Field survey 2022

 

Ownership of the firm of turmeric production:

Ownership of the land determines the productivity of the farm. Because people who work on their land use their labor and other factors of production properly.  In our study area, most farmers cultivate their land. Here, some farmers cultivate on leasehold land, and very few farms cultivate both their own and leasehold land.

 

Table 6: Ownership of the farm of Turmeric production

Category	No. of Respondents	Percentage(%)
Own	78	78
Leasing	16	16
Both	6	6
Total	100	100

                                                 Source: Field survey 2022.

Sources of finance of respondents:

In doing business financing is very important. We have taken 100 farmers as samples. All of them collect finance from four sources personal savings, friends and relatives, bank loans, and NGOs. The majority of farmers use personal savings as land financing. It impedes making large farms. Maximum farmers do not have proper knowledge about bank loans and NGO facilities. Knowledge about financing facilities can make turmeric farms more profitable.

 

Table 7: Sources of finance of respondents

Sources of finance	Number of growers	Percentage (%)
Personal saving	74	74
Friends, Relatives	6	6
Bank Loan	8	8
NGO	10	10
Others	2	2
Total	100	100

Source: Field survey 2022.

 

Experience of turmeric cultivation by respondents:

To ensure farm productivity, experience is a crucial factor. The average experience of turmeric farmers in our research area in producing turmeric was 11–15 years per person per farm.

 

Table 8: Farming experience of respondents of turmeric farm.

Range (Years)	Frequency	Percentage (%)
Below 5 years	5	5
5-10 years	17	17
11-15 years	23	23
16 years and above	55	55

 

Sources of turmeric farm water:

Turmeric production takes very little water to cultivate. Natural rain is the main source of water at the turmeric farm. However, during the dry season, farmers need the help of deep tube wells and shallow machines for watering their farms.

 

Table 9: Sources of Turmeric Farm Water

Watering Source	Number of Respondents	Percentage (%)
Deep tube well	32	32
Solo machine	12	12
Others (Natural rain)	56	56
Total	100	100

Source: Field survey 2022.

 

Occupational status of respondents:

Agriculture is the primary origin of generating employment opportunities for the unskilled workers of our research area. Beside this, most of the farmers are perform in various types of activities like- small business, service, day laborer, potter, blacksmith, and others. 

 

 

Table 10: Occupational Status of Residents in Fulbaria Upazila

Occupation	NO. Of  farmers	Percentage
Agriculture	46	56
Business	26	26
Service	22	22
Others	6	6
Total	100	100

Source: Field survey 2022.

 

Quality of living conditions after turmeric production:

Since farmers depend on turmeric production and the profit from this farm is used to meet their needs, they are dependent on it. It helps to create employment opportunities and income-generating activities.

 

Table 11: Quality of living conditions after turmeric production

Category	Frequency	Percentage (%)
No change	33	33
little change	54	54
Higher change	13	13
Total	100	100

Source: Field survey 2022.

 

Purchaser of turmeric from Fulbaria Upazila:

In Fulbaria upazila, the majority of farmers sell their turmeric to whole sellers (86%). Very few sell to retailers and consumers. Here, there is a lack of storage facilities for turmeric. So farmers sell turmeric to whole sellers during the period of harvesting. So they get a low price for the product.

 

Table 12: Purchaser of turmeric from Fulbaria Upazila 

Purchaser	Frequency	Percentage (%)
Whole seller	86	86
Retailer	12	12
Importer	2	2
Total	100	100

Source: Field survey 2022.    

 

Expenditure and profitability examination of turmeric cultivation:

The profitability of a farm depends on investment or the cost of production. Production, as well as return or profit, rises if all inputs are used properly. There is a positive relationship between the cost of input and output. Here, the cost of production involves seed cost, fee of human labor, planter, watering, fertilizer, pesticides, interest for operating capital, state use cost, machine cost, etc. Gross yield, net yield, and benefit-cost ratio were used to measure the return of turmeric. 

 

Human labor cost:

In the production of turmeric, human labor is a major accelerator. In producing turmeric, both recruited and household laborers were utilized. Household labor comprised the grower himself. The expense of recruited labor is a major segment of variable costs. It was 550 takas per day. For various activities like land composition, uproot, fertilizer and manure application, insecticide application, harvesting, cleaning, etc., human labor was required. The aggregate labor expenditure per hectare was calculated at Tk. 3,76,800 (recruited + household labor) for the sampled farm. So exertion cost is a crucial factor in influencing production.

 

Seed cost:

A good seed is a source of good output. Now various types of hybrid seeds are used to increase production. In our study area, the seed cost per hectare of land is 12,55,250 taka. So it’s a major cost of a turmeric farm.

 

Fertilizer cost:

In the case of agricultural production, both organic and chemical fertilizers are important. Turmeric growers use various kind of compost (chemical and organic) accessible, such as urea, TSP, MOP, gypsum, and cow dung. In our study area, the cost of fertilizer is 2,31,310 taka per hectare.

 

Expenditure for insecticides:

Attacks by various kinds of insects can cause serious damage to turmeric. So to save their pasture from bother, farmers in our research zone use pesticide. Pesticide cost was 53,150 taka on sampled farms in our study area.

 

Expenditure for irrigation:

For any kind of agricultural product, watering is very essential. Sallow machines and deep tube wells are available sources of watering in our research area. The cost of watering was Tk. 1,13,100 in the sampled farms.

 

Power tiller cost:

The preparation of land is a prerequisite for any kind of cultivation. Both plows and power tillers are used for preparing land for cultivation. Here, the estimated cost of a power tiller and plow for land preparation among sampled farms was Tk. 4,40,950.

 

Land use cost:

Nothing can be produced without land. It is the gift of nature. Expenditure for land is calculated using one of the successive terms: a) returns on the value of land; b) evaluation of land at its cash price per year; and c) give up income from substitutes uses. We have used the average lease price of state per year, and it was calculated at Tk. 43,02,500 in the sampled farms.

 

Total Cost:

The total cost is the sum of all types of expenditures. Thus, the combination of all fixed costs and all variable costs is the total cost. The total expenditure can be estimated using the following formula: TC (total cost) =TFC (total fixed cost) +TVC (total variable cost). The total cost of the sampled farms was TK 94,31,350.

 

Table 13: Cost and returns of turmeric cultivation.

Objects	Unit	Average unit value	Total expenditure (TK)	% of gross expenditure
A)Variable cost	Taka		4801950.00
Labor Cost	Daily basis	550	376800.00	4.01
Seed purchasing cost	Each katha	400	1255240.00	13.31
Fertilizer purchasing cost	Each period	-----	2313110.00	25.53
Watering cost	Each hour	300	113200.00	1.19
Expenditure on transportation	Each season	------	113500.00	1.21
Harvester cost	Each hour	350	136000.00	1.45
Cost of pesticides	Each season	------	53150.00	0.56
B) Fixed Cost			4629400.00
State use Cost	Each season	------	4302500.00	47.62
Expenditure on materials	Each season	------	326900.00	3.47
Total Cost) (A+B)			9431350.00	100

Source: Field survey 2022.

 

All items of expenditure in various fields can be presented by following figure-

Figure 1: The (variable and fixed) cost of growing turmeric. 

 

From the pie chart, we can notice that the maximum cost (48%) is used for land requirements. The costs of seed, fertilizer, irrigation, and power tillers also play a significant role in turmeric production.

 

Gross Return:

The gross return for sampled farms was 1,33,41,502 TK. We got it by adding the price of turmeric, the price of mixed food, and the price of by-products. The return from turmeric was 1,27,26,402 TK, and the return from by-products was 4,15,500 TK.

The net return:

By deducting the gross expenditure from the gross earning, the net return is calculated. The average net return of sampled farms was TK 39,10,152 in our research area.

Table 14: aggregate expenditure, aggregate earning, and BCR of the sample farms

Items	Unit	Average aggregate expenditure and earning
Aggregate expenditure	Each period	94,31,350.00
Aggregate earning		1,33,41,502.00
Sale of principal crop	Each period	1,27,26,402.00
Sale of mixed products	Each period	1,99,600.00
Sale of by-products	Each period	4,15,500.00
Net return (B-A)		39,10,152.00
Benefit-cost ratio		1.41

Source: Field survey 2022.

 

Benefit-Cost Ratio:

The benefit-cost ratio method is an important tool to differentiate various projects and analyze their viability. The formula for the benefit-cost ratio is the gross return/gross cost.

In our study area, we have calculated that the BCR of all sample farms is 1.41. It indicates that investment in turmeric cultivation is much more profitable in our research area.

 

Interpretation of the Input Coefficient:

• Human Labor Cost (X₁): Labor is an important variable factor in production. Without labor, land cannot be cultivated. In the case of human labor costs, the regression coefficient was practical and significant at 0.381. That is, a one percent rise in human labor costs will rise aggregate earning by 0.38%.
• Cost for compost (X₂): The regression coefficient for compost cost was 0.317. That is, a one percent rise in compost expenditure will rise aggregate return by 0.317 percent.
• Watering expenditure (X₃): The regression coefficient for watering land was 0.0821. Thus, the relationship between watering cost and gross return is positive. That means if water costs rise, then productivity also rises.
• Transportation cost (X₄): The regression coefficient for transportation costs was significant. The value of the coefficient suggests that keeping all other factors constant, a 1 percent rise in transportation costs will rise aggregate earning by 0.027 percent.
• Seed cost (X₅): The regression coefficient for expenditure on seed is 0.142. It was practical and statistically significant, and it also suggests that seed cost has a remarkable influence on the aggregate earning of the turmeric farm.
• Expenditure on insecticides (X₆): The regression coefficient of insecticide costs was practical and remarkable, which is 0.172. It suggests that, holding other factors constant, a 1 percent rise of insecticide costs will rise the aggregate earning by 0.172 percent.
• Power tiller cost (X₇): The regression coefficient of harvester cost was 0.179; it was positive and statistically significant, and it also suggests that, power tiller cost had a significant influence on the aggregate earning on turmeric production.

The Value of coefficient of determination (R²⁾: Analysis of our regression model gives a coefficient of determination, R² value of 0.97. It indicates that explanatory variables can explain the variations in the gross return of the farms by 97 percent in the model. It suggests that the model is significant enough to identify the relationship between dependent and independent variables.

 

F-value: The regression equation provides the F-value for the farms 20.83, which was significant. It indicates that, implying all the explanatory variables were important for explaining the variations in gross returns of turmeric for the farms.

 

Table 15: The effect of explanatory variables on the dependent variable.

Explanatory Variables	Estimated co-efficient	Standard errors	The  t- values	95.0% of confidence interval for B
				Lower bound	Lower bound
(constant)	3.538	.282	12.52	2.961	4.115
Human labor cost (lnX1)	.038	.051	0.74	-.066	.143
Fertilizer cost (lnX2)	.317	.069	4.58	.175	.458
Watering cost (lnX3)	.082	.039	2.07	.001	.163
Transportation cost (lnX4)	.027	.037	0.73	-.048	.103
Seed cost (LnX5)	.142	.062	2.28	.014	.270
Insecticides cost (lnX6)	.172	.069	2.48	.030	.314
Power tiller cost (X7)	.179	.042	4.19	.091	.266
R2	.97
Adjusted R2	.97
F value	20.83

Source: Field survey 2022.

 

Marketing channels for turmeric:

Marketing is essential for any kind of production. A circle that involves the movement of goods from producer to consumer is called a "market channel." Various middlemen are involved in this process, from producers to the consumers like wholesalers, retailers, local traders, collectors, etc. The roles of all actors in the marketing channel for turmeric are described below:

 

Producers: Since farmers use their seeds, manure, and labor during turmeric production, they are the main input suppliers. In turmeric production micro farmers and large farmers are involved. In the first category, farmers produce only for their consumption. Large or commercial farmers sell most of their produce to the collectors in the market. 

 

Collectors or wholesalers: Collectors or wholesalers in the market are directly involved in marketing businesses. Farmers in the study area carry the produce on their own and sell it to collectors. 

 

Processors: In the study area, mill operators are masala producers. They demolish the dry turmeric and sell loose powder to the retailers. From collectors' masala producers or processors get dry turmeric pieces, which they then process.

 

Retailers: In turmeric marketing, the most effective actors are retailers. The farmers do not have direct relationships with retailers. Thus, all the collectors, traders, wholesalers, and retailers are middlemen in the marketing of turmeric. This is the common marketing channel found in the flow of turmeric from producers to consumers. This marketing channel for turmeric production is presented in Figure 3.

 

Figure 3: The circular flow diagram of the turmeric marketing channel in Fulbaria Upazila of the Mymensingh District.

 

Different problems faced by turmeric growers:

Several constraints were reported from the respondents of turmeric farming in our study area. It includes- unavailability of capital, attack of various diseases, unavailability of high yielding seeds, high prices of fertilizer, cheap market price of product, lack of storage, lack of market information, problems of transportation, etc. All these problems are categorized into economic, social, natural, and marketing constraints. In our research area, 45% of respondents face economic or financial constraints, 34% of farmers face various social and natural problems, and 30% of farmers face various types of marketing problems.

 

Table 16: Different problems faced by selected turmeric growers

Source: Field survey 2022.

 

Summary and policy suggestions:

Turmeric is a dominant part of agriculture. Now-a-days, a large number of enlightened unemployed men power are involved in turmeric production. This sub-sector of agriculture plays a remarkable contribution in solving penury and joblessness problems. However, farmers in this sub-sector face different constraints. To eradicate these difficulties, our study suggests some policy recommendations as below:

• The government and private organizations need to implement the essential measures to ensure sufficient economical and price support to ensure a marginal benefit in turmeric production.
• The quality of turmeric seed should be increased.
• The government should provide high-yielding seeds to get better output.
• The government and higher authority should prepare a public policy for the improvement of sugarcane production to encourage the present growth of turmeric cultivation.
• The government and private authority should provide skill development training to young age people for using quality seeds and organic and bio-fertilizers.
• To reduce the problem of asymmetric information the government and mass media should take essential initiatives.
• To reduce the irrigation problems of farmers, deep tube wells and shallow machines should be easily available. Because it will increase the profitability of turmeric cultivation.
• The government should take the necessary measures to arrange training on modern turmeric production technology. 
• For a better marketing system, transportation and communication systems should be developed.
• The government should provide subsidies to turmeric growers so that profitability rises and other farmers become interested in cultivating turmeric.
• Awareness among turmeric farmers should be developed to minimize various problems.

 

Conclusion: 

The economy of Bangladesh severely depends on agriculture. Turmeric cultivation can enrich the agricultural sector much more. Turmeric cultivation is a profitable farm business in our research area. Here the benefits-cost ratio is 1.41. So producing turmeric can increase the living standard of general people. The various cost factors significantly influence the production of turmeric. Additionally, the R² value is significant and shows that this industry is viable in the research location. However, the farmers encounter several issues when growing turmeric. The production of turmeric will rise dramatically if these issues can be fixed. And it could be very important to Bangladesh's national economy. Therefore, the government or higher authority must take immediate action to resolve issues and implement other measures to advance turmeric growth in the research region as well as throughout Bangladesh.

 

 

References:

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