Farmers look dejected as they are compelled to sell vegetables at prices lower than the production costs owing to the ongoing political unrest. The photo was taken from Satmile Market of Jashore district on Tuesday — FE Photo BENAPOLE, Dec 13: The vegetable farmers in Jashore are bearing the brunt of the ongoing political unrest in the country.
Market insiders said traders are not giving fair price of vegetables to the growers on various pretexts including hartal and blockade.
As a result, the farmers have to sell their produce at low prices in the market.
Such a picture was seen while visiting Jashore's Satmile Market on Tuesday, the largest vegetable market in the southwestern region of the country.
At this point, the supply of radish among winter vegetables was noticeable. But radish is being sold at as low as Tk10 to 15 per kg now.
In addition, farmers have to sell cauliflower at Tk30 to Tk 32 per kg, cabbage at Tk10 to Tk15 per kg, gourd at Tk31 to Tk 35, brinjal at Tk20 to Tk 25 per kg, local variety green chili at Tk 70 to Tk 80 per kg.
Farmer Abul Hossain came to Sat Mile Market with seven maunds of radish from neighbouring Jhanjhane village.
He said after coming to the market, traders offered him the maximum price of Tk10 for his radish. Afterwards he was compelled to sell the item at the said price.
Farmer Tariqul Islam came up at the market with two mounds of cabbage from the same village.
He said, "It rained last week when the price of cabbage was Tk 25 to Tk 30 per kg. Osman Goni, proprietor of Omni Traders, is buying cabbage from us at Tk10-15 per kg on various pretexts."
"If the price trend continues like this, we will have to incur a loss of Tk8,000-Tk10,000 per Bigha," he added.
Farmer Salim Hossain of Sahbaspur village said, "When we go to the market with vegetables from the field, we do not get good price due to various excuses."
He added, "The ongoing political unrest in the country has started affecting the vegetable farmers. Traders compel the growers to sell their vegetables at throwaway prices on the pretext of political instability."
Rakibuddin of Mirzapur village brought two mounds of local variety green chilli to Satmile Market. He said, "We are selling green chilli at the rate of Tk70-80 per kg. But when I go to the retail market, I see the price of green chilli is Tk120-150 per kg."
"So the loss is ours, as the traders and retailers gain due to the change of hands," he added.
Shyamal Biswas, who brought vegetables to Satmile Market, said, "The prices of all vegetables have decreased by Tk10-15 within a week. Gourd, brinjal, cabbage, cauliflower are all cheap. If this is so, the farmers are ruined. At the end of the day, traders are benefiting."
Meanwhile, traders said the trucks do not want to go to distant districts with consignments of vegetables from Jashore due to strike-blockade.
In that case, truck drivers charge a higher rent of Tk12,000 to 15,000 or more.
On the one hand, the cost of transportation has increased and the prices of vegetables have come down as all kinds of winter vegetables are available in the markets.
A trader named Delwar Rahman said truckers do not want to take vegetables to the distant districts citing the reason of strike-blockade.
"We have to buy vegetables at low prices due to high transportation cost," he added.
Palash Hasan, another trader, said as the transportation cost is exorbitantly high, vegetables have to be bought at a low prices to cover the cost." "Besides, now all kinds of winter vegetables are abundant in the market, so the prices of all kinds of vegetables have come down," he added.
Dr Susanto Tarafder of the Department of Agricultural Extension, Jashore, said the vegetable cultivation target in the district this year was set at 17,750 hectares of land; but the target was fulfilled by 25,000 hectares.
However, due to blockade and strike called by the opposition parties, the vegetable farmers are suffering heavy losses, he added.
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