Bumper groundnut yield, record prices boost Rangpur farmers

Record groundnut production and record market prices have ensured favourable returns for farmers in the Rangpur region. 

The total value of groundnuts produced is estimated at approximately Tk200 crore, with an average market price of Tk6,500 per maund, according to the Rangpur Regional Office of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).

A production target of 12,245 tonnes was set for the 2025–2026 Rabi season across 5,736 hectares of land in the five districts of Rangpur, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, and Nilphamari. Actual output has reached 12,221 tonnes, closely aligning with the target. Groundnuts are currently being sold at the farm level for between Tk6,400 and Tk6,600 per maund. As a result, total sales are projected to reach approximately Tk198.59 crore, surpassing all previous records. Farmers across the region have expressed satisfaction with the favourable prices.

Akash Hossain, a groundnut farmer from the char area of Gajghanta Union in Gangachara, Rangpur, said yields ranged between 28 and 32 maunds per acre this season. With production costs between Tk40,000 and Tk50,000 per acre, he reported a net profit of around Tk 1 lakh per acre.

Jahurul Islam Ferdous, a farmer from Kisamat Sadar village in Belka Union, Sundarganj, Gaibandha, also reported strong returns. He said he is selling groundnuts at an average wholesale price of Tk6,500 per maund, compared to Tk3,500–4,000 during the same period last year, describing this year’s profit as unprecedented.

Md Sirajul Islam, additional director of the DAE in Rangpur, stated that farmers ultimately cultivated groundnuts on 5,748 hectares—12 hectares more than the initial target. Following harvest, total production stood at 12,221 tonnes, with an average yield of 2.13 tonnes per hectare.

Professor Dr Md Sadekur Rahman, Chairman of the Department of Agricultural Extension at Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University in Dinajpur, attributed the success to the expansion of high-yielding groundnut varieties developed by the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), particularly in char areas.

He noted that improved cropping patterns and mixed crop rotation methods offer strong potential for further expansion of groundnut cultivation in both riverine and mainland areas.

He further added that rising demand for cash crops in the country’s growing food industry is contributing to a steady increase in groundnut cultivation and production in the Rangpur agricultural region. Farmers are benefiting from relatively low production costs and attractive returns, which is likely to encourage further expansion.

He emphasised the need for continued support from the Department of Agricultural Extension through the provision of quality seeds and field-level advisory services to sustain this growth.