Bhola has had a bigger capsicum yield this year than in the past several years, but farmers are not getting good prices in the wholesale market. Far from making a profit, they are worried whether they will even recover their production costs. The foreign vegetable has become a thorn in the side of Bhola's farmers.

A field visit found that capsicum was grown on 70 hectares across Bhola's seven upazilas last year and on 75 hectares this year. As before, most of it was grown at Majher Char in Kachia union of Sadar upazila and in Madanpur union of Daulatkhan upazila.

Favourable soil and weather produced a large yield this year, which brought smiles to farmers' faces. But when they tried to sell the crop, they found prices low at wholesale depots in the capital and elsewhere.

Md Siraj and Md Mahafuz, farmers at Majher Char in Kachia union, said they had each grown capsicum on 80 decimals of land and spent around Tk 4 lakh in all on seed, fertiliser, pesticide and labour. Their fields yielded heavily.

They said that last year a cyclone destroyed their seedbeds after planting, so they did not make much profit. This time they sowed after the cyclone, so their capsicum escaped damage.

Md Monsur and Md Rasel, farmers of Madanpur village in Daulatkhan's Madanpur union, said that at the start of last season they sold capsicum wholesale at Tk 160-180. This season they are getting only Tk 50 at the start, and Tk 80 at most.

They said seed, fertiliser, pesticide, other inputs and labour all cost more this time, but market prices are low. Far from a profit, they are worried whether they will recover their outlay.

Pakhi Begum of the same village said that although the yield is huge, the market price is not there, which is why capsicum has become a thorn in their side.

Farmer Md Rakib said they grow capsicum on Madanpur char every year and make lakhs of taka in profit, but with low prices this year they are very worried.

Md Mostafa Sohel, an official of the Department of Agricultural Marketing in Bhola, said: "Farmers are worried because capsicum prices are a little low at present, but there is no cause for concern. We are working to help farmers get a good price and will give every kind of support for selling capsicum in the country's big wholesale markets."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.