Due to its coastal location, Ukhiya, a prominent upazila in Cox’s Bazar, has soil and a climate ideal for betel nut cultivation. Nearly every household here has a betel nut garden.
Betel nuts produced in Ukhiya attract buyers and tourists from various parts of the country, especially in Jaliapalong Union, where production is highest.
During the season, Sonarpara Bazaar, a central commercial hub in Jaliapalong, sends weekly shipments worth millions of takas across Bangladesh. The betel nut trade has enabled over a thousand small traders here to achieve self-sufficiency, with many now supplying betel nuts to city markets.
This thriving industry at Sonarpara is providing local farmers economic stability and new opportunities. Shahjalal, a small-scale farmer, shared with Cox’s Bazar Life that he has planted over a hundred betelnut trees on 40 decimals of land near his homestead, which sold for 150,000 takas this season. Previously, he had found paddy farming on this land unprofitable.
Cox’s Bazar city is dotted with small betelnut shops, many of which source their products from Sonarpara, Ukhiya. Ukhiya’s thriving betel nut industry, covering over 450 acres, far exceeds its initial targets, becoming a vital source of livelihood for many and meeting rising demand across the country.
By Rajin Saleh
