A groundnut-processing factory at Azampur Bazer under Moheshpur upazila in Jhenidah has been meeting partial demand of the fried grams, better known as chanachur factories in Jhenidah and surrounding areas. The trade has been ensuring better profit for the entrepreneurs.
However, the financial constraints of the entrepreneurs became a barrier for expansion of the business and meeting more demand in the locality as well as surrounding districts. Adequate and low interest bank loans might help them much for the potential agro sector in the south-west part of the country.
A number of men and women were provided with job as day laborers locally against some money round the year to run their families well. Bangladesh Krishi Bank (BKB) has been investing for expansion of this sort of activities. But the entrepreneurs have demanded to enhance the number of farmers under bank support and increase the existing loan amount. It will play a role in strengthening socio-economic base of the groundnut farmers in the district.
Abul Kalam, of Gourinathpur village of Azampur union said he started separating the shell of the grains about five years back. He invested Taka 30 lakh for the business initially. He received Taka 10 lakh from BKB for better flow of the business. Now his capital stands at Taka 50 lakh.
The entrepreneur said that he prepared about 2,500 kilograms of the fresh granules of groundnut in his factory daily. Usually the farmers produce local, bolder, china and round variety of groundnut on their plots in the area. The granules are sold at different chanachur factories in Moheshpur, Kotchandpur and Kaliganj of Jhenidah, Jibannagar and Chuadanga Sadar of Chuadanga and some other parts of Kushtia.
However, he was not in a position to meet the demand of all local factories due to more fund for running capital. The fate of the groundnut farmers might be changed if the banks could increase the volume of money loan for expansion of the potential sector in the area.
Abul Kalam said he has been selling the empty shells of the groundnut to the potter community people at a lower cost so that could consume the same at their curing ovens instead fuel wood or timber. Use of timber wood is a direct threat to our forestry and nature, he added.
A number of women namely Kulsum, Saleha Khatun, Rahela Khatun and some others, engaged in grading the groundnut grains in Abul Kalam’s factory said they receive Taka 200 a day for eight to nine-hour work in the locality.
The money has been helping a lot to improve the socio-economic state of the poor people, while they were passing time idle before running the factory there.
Chief regional manager (CRM) of BKB in Jhenidah region Enayet Karim said all the managers and other concern officials of BKB branches were advised to invest in agro-based activities as the sector has been playing significant role in nation building activities from the inception of the bank.
