Green chilli price goes haywire in Magura

MAGURA, July 15: Green chilli price has become extremely prohibitive in Magura in recent days, reaching as much as Tk350 per kilogram.

Although the common cooking item has become costlier in the markets, the growers are being deprived of their expected returns due to its price manipulation by influential middlemen, insiders said. In this way, its actual profit eludes the genuine beneficiaries.

Sources at the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Magura, informed the FE that the DAE had brought 474 hectares of land under green chill cultivation in the district this season as against 626 hectares last year. Harvesting has already started in the district.

Abdur Rouf, a farmer of Kachundi village in Magura sadar upazila, said, "This year I am selling green chill at Tk350 per kg as against Tk60 last year. Last year we made profit even selling chilli at a low rate. But this year we are making loss despite the item selling at this high rate."

Nitay Pada Biswas, a farmer of Gangnalia village in sadar upazila, said, "As a drought-like situation persisted in the district, our production has fallen short of the target. Not only that, our production has fallen drastically."

"On the other hand, while the chilli is being sold at Tk450 per kg in the retail market, we are getting barely Tk250. But the price does not cover our production cost as our irrigation expenditure is abnormally high this season due to extreme drought. In fact the main profit is going to the middlemen depriving us."

Another farmer Mihir Kanti of Tengakhali village in sadar upazila said high chilli price has brought no good to them due to abnormal production cost, drastic fall in production and market control by middlemen.

Chilli wholesaler Tilam Hossen of Dhaka Road area in Magura town said, "We are now selling imported chilli avoiding local chilli. So how shall we deprive growers?."

But school mistress Belowara Khanom of Nanduali area in Magura town said though imported chilli was sold in the local market 2-3 days back, at present imported onion is not seen in the market. In absence of imported chilli, local traders are exploiting consumers through forming syndicate.

Mamunur Rahman, assistant director of the Directorate of National Consumers Right Protection, Magura, told the FE, "Imported chilli is now not seen in the market. Local chilli is being sold at high price. But the information of middlemen's syndication is not true at all. In the meantime, we have searched godowns, even houses of wholesalers. But we have found reasonable storage of chilli there. We are monitoring the market sincerely. Production debacle due to drought is the cause behind price hike of the item."

DAE deputy director Dr Md Yashin Kabir admitted that chilli cultivation was lower in the district this season compared to the last year.

He further added that production was hampered as a drought-like situation was prevailing in the district. However, farmers are making profit, he said.

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