Farmers in Naogaon are busy with early winter vegetables, aiming to catch the market at the start of the season. Md Manjur Rahman, deputy director of the district's Department of Agricultural Extension, said about 3,350 hectares are under early vegetables this season and growers are getting good prices. Advice on crop care, disease control and modern methods is being given in the field, he said.
The fields hold cauliflower and cabbage seedlings, beans on trellises, aubergine, radish and spinach. Saidul Islam of Barshail in Sadar upazila has spent about Tk 45,000 on a bigha of cabbage. He has sold about Tk 30,000 worth so far and hopes for about Tk 1.2 lakh in all if prices hold. Munsur Islam of Kasba village spent about Tk 30,000 on a bigha (33 decimals) of beans and hopes to sell Tk 50,000 to Tk 60,000 worth.
Farmers also have in mind the risks of bad weather, pest attacks and rising costs: the sums only work if yields and prices hold.
Rising supply is pulling prices down. In town markets a kilo of green chilli now sells for Tk 80, aubergine Tk 70, bitter gourd Tk 60, cauliflower Tk 80, pointed gourd Tk 40, beans Tk 120, radish Tk 40, ridge gourd Tk 40, yardlong beans Tk 60 and cucumber Tk 60, with a bottle gourd at Tk 40 to Tk 45.
Retailer Firoz Hossain said some vegetables cost nearly double a week ago and have now come down by Tk 10 to Tk 15 a kilo depending on the crop. Wholesaler Milon Hossain expects prices to fall further as more comes to market. Shoppers Jamilur Rahman and Parvin Akter at the municipal market feel some relief, but say the prices are still out of step with what low-income people can pay.
Photo: NagaBazarRajshahi / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Source: Dainik Bangla
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