The role of palm husbandry in the rural economy of the south-eastern region of Bangladesh

Abstract

An exploratory study was conducted in Feni, a south-eastern district of Bangladesh to explore the role of palm husbandry in the rural economy. A total of 48 households in the study area were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Based on the total annual income, the farmers were categorized into three groups as high-income group, medium income group and low-income group. Palm tree contributes 26,000 Tk, 22,740 Tk and 18,300 Tk respectively to the three-income group annually (1 US$ = 69 Tk). Palm trees contribute 46% of total annual income to low-income group followed by 19% to medium income group and 14% to high-income group. Incase of overall income of all the respondents, 26% income comes from palm trees. Besides this, palms provide a multitude of useful products ranging from fuelwood to materials for construction, tools and handicrafts. However the poor marketing system result in decreasing the annual return from palm trees. Palm husbandry could be a promising source of rural incomes in Bangladesh if the farmers' traditional management knowledge was linked to more scientific management practices. © iForest-Biogeosciences and Forestry.