Weekly Betel Markets Drive Tk 156 Crore Trade in Pekua
Two weekly betel markets continue to serve as major economic lifelines in Pekua upazila’s Shilkhali Union, where trading takes place in Jarulbania and Kachharimora stations. The Jarulbania market operates every Tuesday, while Kachharimora hosts its market on Fridays, both beginning at 6 a.m. and running for only four hours. For more than fifty years, the two markets have maintained this routine. Together, they generate weekly sales worth Tk 3 million, amounting to an annual turnover of approximately Tk 156 million. The betel sold in these markets is produced mainly in Shilkhali, Barbakia and Toitong unions, where betel is the primary cash crop. In Shilkhali alone, nearly 60 percent of the 25,000 residents are involved in betel cultivation or trading.
