Months of heavy rain have brought a good yield of betel leaf in Betagi, in coastal Barguna. Yet there are no smiles on the growers' faces: the crop is good, but farmers are not getting a fair price. Many borrowed money to grow betel leaf and now cannot repay their loans from what they sell.

According to the upazila agriculture office, farmers grew betel leaf on 70 hectares this year across Betagi municipality and seven unions. Some 650 families are involved in the trade, and there are 31 betel leaf markets, wholesale and retail, large and small.

Farmers say that labour wages have risen and they are paying more for oil cake, jute sticks and bamboo splints and other inputs, yet they have to sell betel leaf cheaply at local markets. A pai (24 chali) of betel leaf that was worth Tk 1,000 now has to be sold for Tk 100.

Small farmers say wholesalers formed a syndicate and cut prices, taking advantage of transport problems during the coronavirus pandemic. Wholesalers, for their part, say demand for betel leaf is now much lower than before.

Krishna Kanta Gharami of ward 3 of the municipality said he had grown betel leaf with money borrowed from people and loans from NGOs. With wages and input prices up, he said, he was not getting a fair price that would cover his costs.

Upazila agriculture officer Md Iqbal Hossain said: "Our efforts will continue so that farmers get a fair price."

Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Suhrid Salehin said: "The betel leaf syndicate will be broken up. Legal action will be taken very soon so that middlemen cannot take advantage."

Source: Kaler Kantho. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.