At the Hatirdia banana market in Monohardi upazila of Narsingdi, between Tk 5 lakh and Tk 10 lakh worth of bananas changes hands in just two hours, from 8 to 10 in the morning. The market meets twice a week, on Sundays and Wednesdays, and wholesalers come from far afield to buy from local growers, Agricare24 reports.
The market, about three kilometres from the upazila headquarters, is around 50 years old. From dawn, farmers from Hatirdia, Chalakchar, Garbari, Manikpur, Solmania and nearby villages bring Sagar, Chini Champa, Sabri, Amritasagar and other varieties by rickshaw and van. The bunches are laid out in rows and sold by bargaining, at roughly Tk 300 to Tk 1,200 a bunch depending on variety and size.
Traders say the bananas here are fresher because the market sits close to the orchards, so wholesalers from Narayanganj, Dhaka and surrounding areas come regularly. One trader from Narayanganj said he buys on both market days and sells to wholesale depots in Dhaka, but wider roads around the market would make transport easier.
Local people say every market day draws large crowds of buyers and sellers, and the lack of space causes traffic jams and hardship. They want the market enlarged and road links improved.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, bananas were grown on about 2,300 hectares in Narsingdi this year. Of the district's six upazilas, Monohardi, Shibpur and Palash grow the most, and Amritasagar is one of the district's best-known varieties.
Dipak Kumar Deb, additional deputy director of the district extension office, said Narsingdi has several other banana markets, large and small, besides Hatirdia, trading Amritasagar and other varieties, and that growers are given regular advice to expand banana farming.
Photo: David Stanley / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Source: Agricare24
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