Milon Raihan:
Farmers in Joypurhat are not getting fair price for radishes due to bumper yield of radishes and cauliflowers among vegetables during the winter season. Farmers are suffering from extreme disappointment due to this sudden price drop. As a result, they are facing hardship. Radish and cauliflower prices have fallen in the market and are being sold at only 1 taka per kg and cauliflower is being sold at 5 taka. Farmers say that selling radishes at this price is far from increasing the cost of production, van rent is not being raised. And the Agriculture Department says that prices are falling due to increased production.
Joypurhat is known as a granary. A large amount of winter vegetables are cultivated. However, due to the high volume of imports in the market, prices have fallen. Among these, the prices of radishes and cauliflower have fallen the most. In the wholesale market, radishes are now being sold at 1 taka per kg and cauliflower is being sold at 5 taka per kg. For example, farmer Ramzan Ali of Keshabpur village in Akkelpur upazila has cultivated radishes on one bigha of land. He has spent about 10,000 taka per bigha on land preparation, including seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides.
Although he initially got the expected price, he is currently in extreme trouble as the market price of radishes is not there. The same is true for all radish and cauliflower farmers in the district. They said that initially, they used to sell radishes for 2.5 thousand taka per maund and 50 to 60 taka per piece, but now they have to sell radishes and cauliflower for less than 40 taka and 5 taka per piece. As a result, they have to sit in the market with radishes and cauliflowers for lack of buyers. No one is paying any price. Due to this, the farmer has no profit, let alone expenses.
Farmer Ramzan Ali of Durga Bazar village in Badsha Union of Joypurhat Sadar upazila said, this time I have cultivated radishes on 3 bigha of land. There, the cost of land preparation, including seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides, has been about 10,000 taka per bigha. Although we got the expected price in the beginning, we are currently facing extreme difficulties as the market price of radish is not there.
Rafiqul, a farmer from Jamalpur village in Joypurhat Sadar Upazila, said, I have planted cauliflower on 30 percent of my land. I got a good price in the beginning, but now the price of the cabbage is not even 2 taka per piece. In such a situation, we will not make a profit.
Hasan Ali, a trader at the city’s new market in Joypurhat Sadar Upazila, said, the car fare to buy vegetables to take them to the shops in Karwan Bazar and Jatrabari in the capital has increased. In addition, the cost of reaching Dhaka with labor costs for each radish and cauliflower is 300 to 350 taka, in such a situation, we are also not able to make much profit.
Rahela Parveen, Deputy Director, Department of Agricultural Extension, Joypurhat. told Daily Present Time that the yield has also been good this year due to the good weather. As a result, the target has been exceeded. This time, farmers have cultivated radish and cauliflower in large quantities along with other vegetables. Due to the good yield, imports to the markets are also high. Vegetables are perishable products. Due to the lack of storage facilities, farmers have to sell them after lifting them from the fields. Again, they do not get the real price due to various crises including syndicates. The Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension said.
In the current Rabi season, a target of 4,730 hectares of land was set for winter vegetable cultivation. However, due to favorable weather conditions, this time the target has been exceeded and about 5,000 hectares of land have been cultivated.
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