Farmers in Rajshahi's Godagari are selling tomatoes in the field at Tk 5–8 a kg. After passing through a few hands, these ripe tomatoes go to markets in Rajshahi and elsewhere in the country, and the price rises each time they change hands. In Rajshahi's open market, tomatoes are selling at Tk 25–30 a kg.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Rajshahi, tomatoes were grown on 3,600 hectares in the district in 2023. This year they have been grown on about 3,242 hectares.

Nazir Uddin, a farmer from the Matikata area of Godagari, told Jago News with regret: "I picked my tomatoes and sold them in the field at Tk 5–7 a kg. After passing through two hands, those tomatoes are selling at Tk 25–30 a kg in the Rajshahi market. I grew them and got five taka, while the traders got more than Tk 20 by trading."

Moin Ali, a trader from the Helipad area of the same upazila, said: "We can't take them to market, so we give them to the bepari. We can't take such a small quantity of tomatoes to the Dhaka or Rajshahi markets, so we sell in the field. But I hear they are selling them at several times the price in the market. If the government monitored this, we would get a better price."

Md Khokon, a retailer at Shaheb Bazar in Rajshahi city, said: "We buy vegetables from the wholesale market, where they keep a profit. We keep a profit and then sell. So it's natural that the price rises after two hands from what the farmer sells at. Today I bought ripe tomatoes at Tk 25 a kg. After transport and other costs, I am selling at Tk 30."

Mohammad Ali, a retired teacher shopping in the city's Shalbagan area, said: "Five-taka tomatoes selling at 30 cannot be accepted. Without strict monitoring, farmers will be cheated, and we too will have to buy at higher prices."

Ibrahim Hossain, deputy director of the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection in Rajshahi, said: "These are fresh and perishable products. They have one price in the morning and another in the afternoon. There is really nothing to be done about them."

Rajshahi senior agricultural marketing officer Sanowar Hossain said early varieties of tomato are grown in Godagari, so farmers got good prices in the early stage of production. Godagari's tomatoes are now nearly finished, and seasonal tomatoes are also coming from other upazilas. With supply increasing, prices have fallen somewhat.

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