Eid-ul-Fitr is at the door, but watermelon prices have suddenly risen at the end of Ramadan. Though not sold by the kg, watermelons weighing four to five kg each are selling for Tk 500 in the market, while those of three to four kg cost Tk 350 to Tk 400. This was the picture at Shambhuganj bazar in Mymensingh city on Thursday afternoon (20 April).

Watermelon seller Naim Mia told Jagonews: "Ramadan is coming to an end and demand for watermelon has gone up, but supply is low. That is why prices are a bit higher. Watermelons are now being sold by the piece too. I have no watermelon under Tk 250 in my shop. Each one weighs two and a half to three kg."

Rafiqul Islam of Rafiqul Fal Bhandar in the same market said: "I have no watermelon under Tk 500 in my shop. I am selling by the piece, and each watermelon weighs no less than four to five kg."

In front of the shop, garment worker Akash Mia, who works at a factory in the Board Bazar area of Gazipur, said: "I am going home to celebrate Eid with my family. My parents, brothers and sisters are there. I bought a watermelon for them for Tk 500. There are none cheaper."

Another garment worker, Enamul Haque, who works at a factory in the Konabari area of Gazipur, said: "I am going home for Eid and everyone in the family is waiting, so I have bought some fruit for them. But fruit prices have suddenly gone up. I bought a watermelon for Tk 500. It weighs about four kg."

Mojibar Rahman, another watermelon seller at Shambhuganj bazar, said he was selling watermelons at Tk 250 to Tk 300 each. Asked why prices had suddenly risen, he said watermelon production and supply had fallen while demand in the market was high.

In front of Mojibur Rahman's shop, a young man named Emdadul Haque said: "My children insisted on eating watermelon, so I came to buy one. But the price is very high. Even so, I had no choice but to buy one for Tk 300."

Additional deputy commissioner Pulak Kanti Chakraborty told Jagonews: "We are monitoring the market regularly. We will look into the matter and take the necessary action."

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