Imported fruit is selling at high prices, so buyers in Cumilla are turning to comparatively cheaper local fruit. Instead of imported apples, malta, grapes, pomegranates, pears, oranges, rambutan and avocado, they are buying local watermelon, sammam melon, papaya, dragon fruit, guava, mango, pomelo, jujube, hog plum and sugarcane.

This was the picture at retail fruit markets in various parts of Cumilla city on Saturday, 12 September.

Traders say prices of imported fruit have risen somewhat as supplies have fallen, while sales of local fruit have grown because they are cheaper. But with supply short of demand, prices of various local fruits have also risen by Tk 10 to 50 a kg over the past week.

At several city markets on Saturday, apples were selling at Tk 360 a kg, green apples at Tk 380 and Chinese apples at Tk 300. A week earlier, apples sold for Tk 290 to 350 in Cumilla. Malta was selling at Tk 300 to 360 a kg, up Tk 20 to 80. Grape prices were unchanged: red grapes at Tk 420 to 450 a kg depending on size and green grapes at Tk 600.

Oranges rose by Tk 30 a kg to Tk 380. Pomegranates were selling at Tk 320 to 450 a kg. Pears rose by Tk 30 to Tk 350 a kg. Rambutan and katlichu sold at Tk 1,400 a kg, avocado at Tk 1,600 a kg and dates at Tk 400 to 1,800 a kg.

Local bananas were selling at Tk 60 to 100 a dozen. Ripe papaya sold at Tk 120 to 150 a kg, up from Tk 80 to 100 a week earlier. Watermelon sold at Tk 80 to 100 a kg. Dragon fruit rose by Tk 20 to 40 a kg to Tk 200 to 220. Green coconuts sold at Tk 150 to 220 each depending on size.

Guava rose by Tk 30 a kg to Tk 100. Hog plum rose by Tk 10 to 20 to Tk 60 to 70 a kg. Katimon mango rose by Tk 40 a kg to Tk 180. Sammam sold at Tk 80 a kg and pomelo at Tk 30 to 50 each. Guava fruit and sour jujube sold at Tk 550 a kg. Large sugarcane sold at Tk 100 to 150 a stick and pineapple at Tk 80 to 100 each.

Abdul Kader of Faruk Enterprise, a fruit seller in the Kandirpar area, said: "I have sold fruit in this area for 15 years. Sales have never been as slow as now. Before, even when fruit was expensive, it sold. Prices have gone up a bit now, true, but there are hardly any sales. I haven't sold even a kilogram of fruit in the past two hours."

He added that those selling local fruit are doing better, because local fruit is cheaper than imported fruit.

Md Monu Mia, a fruit seller on Laksam Road, said: "In the fruit business you profit if you sell; if not, you make a loss. Sales are low now, but I can't understand why. My guess is that people don't have money, which may be why sales have fallen."

A buyer, Abdul Hai, said: "I see instability in the fruit market. From one shop to the next, they ask at least Tk 30-70 more for the same fruit. I think it's because there is no market monitoring."

Jannatul Mawa, a woman buyer, said: "I bought pomegranates and apples for a sick colleague. These fruits are good for patients, but the prices are very high. These days they are beyond the means of low- and middle-income families. The government should look into this."

Another, Md Kamal Uddin, said: "For the past two years I've been collecting local fruit from various markets and selling it in Cumilla city. I sell Tk 3,000 to 5,000 worth of fruit a day on average and make Tk 1,000 to 1,500. People are more drawn to local fruit."

On market control, Md Kawsar Mia, assistant director of the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection in Cumilla, said that if any consumer is cheated buying fruit, a drive will be conducted against the shop concerned once a complaint is received, and action will be taken under the rules if there is proof.

He added: "We regularly monitor markets on our own initiative. Traders in the city have been told that action will be taken against them if they do not display price lists."

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