KISHORECANJ, June5: Cultivation of betel leaf has been facing setback in the district putting the growers in acute hard ship.

Dearth of inputs, high rate of carrying cost, paucity of loan and marketing facilities are the causes behind the setback of betel leaf cultivation in this area. Prices of Inputs such as bamboo, straw, oil cake, choir thread etc. have gone up.

About 35 to 45 maunds oi oil cake are required for one bigha of cultivable land. Shades used for plantations of betel leaf are required to be changed frequently but high cost of bamboo which sells at Taka 80 to Taka 100 per price has made It impossible to erect shades.

Lastly absence of proper marketing facilities for the product has put the growers in a discouraging position and eign markets as the production cost of this Item at the neighbouring country in much lower.

The growers of betel leaf have urged the authorities to provide soft term loan to continue their age-old occupation and ensure marketing facilities for their product.

Our Kurigram Correspondent adds: The betel leaf growers of all the nine thanas of the district have been facing many fold problems due to price hike of necessary inputs and lack of marketing facilities.

At present about 5.000 families of the district have been passing their days in miseries due to lack of inputs, bank loans and marketing facilities causing rapid decline tn betel leaf production.

When contacted some betel leaf growers told this correspondent that the prices of inputs such as straw, bamboo, fixture, choir, oil cake, fertilizer and iute sticks have increased abnormally. But the market prices of their products have not Increased proportionately